The xXx Song Series: Xander and JJ
by Finnegans-way
Summary: A series of stories chronicling Xander and J.J.'s childhood adventures and their friendship prior to the start of "xXx" the movie.
1. Take off Your Cool

**AN: **I've always loved the character, J.J. You only get about 2 minutes of her in the movies, but I've always thought that those 2 minutes said a whole lot about her and Xander's relationship. This series of stories documents the history of their friendship before the start of the movie (for the most part) This piece was inspired by the song "Take off Your Cool," by Outkast. Lyrics follow.

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Disclaimer: I am only borrowing Xander, J.J. and other characters featured in "xXx." They are the property of Tristar and I don't own any of them and I'm not profiting from any of this - etc., etc., etc.

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**Take off Your Cool**

You could hear them coming before you saw a thing: people laughing, and the sound of motors screaming down the deserted street. The culprits soon appeared, tires squealing as they pulled up to the nondescript building. Four of them rode in a faded blue Mustang. Another followed on a flashy motorcycle, driving right up the building's ramp, and almost to the door. He came to a smooth stop, jumping off the bike and pulling off his helmet.

"That was a hell of a test run, X!" the driver smiled, "you're gonna kick ass next week."

Xander smiled, rubbing a hand across the caramel skin of his bald head.

"Thanks, Tony. Couldn't do it without ya'."

The male bravado was soon broken by a feminine laugh. All attention was instantly riveted on the group's lone female. She jumped out of the car, grabbing a tightly packed parachute, brownskin and sparkling eyes highlighted by the blond bob she wore.

"Enough. Ya'll need to let the man get some rest or the real thing won't go nearly as smooth as the practice."

Various cries of "but, J!" were ignored as she ordered everyone home, thanking the men for the ride back to her car.

As the Mustang drove noisily off, she turned to look at her business partner. Then she walked over to the ramp and up it to speak to him.

"We're going inside."

Xander looked confused, apprehensive at her sudden shift of tone.

"But I thought I needed to rest –"

"You do, but not until we take a look at your side. I doubt you can patch yourself up with this one."

He shook his head in wonder at J.J.'s apparent omniscience. Putting up his hand to pacify her, he said,

"J, it's alright. I'm cool."

In response, she grinned that maternal grin, shaking her head. Her hair shook briefly as she looked up at him.

"Xander, you know better than to try that superhero mess with me. Now let's go."

At her order, the door to the apartment was unlocked. Xander gritted his teeth as he pulled down the grate and started the lift. His eyes darted to the side, stealing a glance at J.J. She crossed her arms, indicating that she'd seen how he was favoring his left side.

The elevator rose, stopping at the entrance to Xander's home. He bent to open the gate, but J.J. stepped forward.

"I've got it."

He didn't bother to put up a fight. He could feel the pain in his side pulsing with each heartbeat.

As they stepped inside, J.J. pulled down the gate, and then turned on the light. Before Xander could speak or react, she reached up, sliding his motocross jacket off of his shoulders. When she accidentally grazed his left side, his breath became a hiss of pain.

The young woman clicked her tongue knowingly, walking around to his front. Gingerly, she lifted his shirt, grimacing at the purple bruise the parachute harness had left on his hip. The discoloration spread from his hip up his side, stopping just under his arm.

"Kitchen," J.J. ordered, pointed him in the direction of the bar stools by the counter.

Xander obeyed, taking a seat as J.J. went to the freezer for an ice pack. As she rummaged around, he asked.

"How long have we been in business, J?"

"Five, six years," was her muffled response.

Despite his pain, Xander had to smile. Who knew where he'd be without J.J.? Sure, he'd been pulling crazy, extreme stunts for years, but he'd never even thought about making a real living out of it. Not until J.J. had come into his life.

J.J. had the head for business – J.J. had sky-rocketed his popularity with the web site and Internet sales. With the bigger (aka more illegal) stunts, she'd helped him hide his tracks, avoid the heat from the police. She'd found locations for his stunts, hired and managed his camera crew, made sure he had everything he needed.

When he'd broken his leg, she'd seen to it that he had groceries when he came home from the hospital, that someone came in to keep his loft clean. They'd built a new Blockbuster in the area, and she'd opened him up an account, bringing him new video games every couple of days.

He leaned back against the counter, bracing himself on the stool as he looked over his shoulder to watch her. She came back with one from his plentiful store of ice packs and set it on the counter. Then she disappeared, walking off to get his first aid kit.

"Then why don't I know you better?" he finally called to her retreating form.

She heard the guilt in his voice, and regarded him gently as she returned, setting down the ace bandages she'd gone to find.

"It's my job to know you – to protect our investment," she responded after a long pause.

Gesturing to his t-shirt, she said,

"Take it off, X."

He moved to obey, but she stopped him when she saw the pain it caused. Reaching down to do it for him, she helped him remove first one arm, and then the other.

As she moved to toss the shirt onto another stool, he captured her tiny wrist in one of his massive hands. She tilted her chin downward, avoiding eye contact as he pulled her forward and placed her hand over his heart. She let him hold it there for several moments, then she lifted her eyes to meet his, sliding her hand out of his grip.

She made quick work of his treatment, setting the ice pack against his bruise and wrapping the ace bandages around his chest. When she was finished, she brushed her hands together and stepped back.

"There you go. All set. It shouldn't swell, but it's gonna hurt like a –"

She stopped, waving her hand dismissively.

"You know all this. I'll come check on you tomorrow."

He reached for her, but she stayed where she was. He frowned.

"What, you're too cool to hug me now?"

She laughed.

"No, you're the one who's too cool," she laughed, pointing at his ice pack.

They both laughed at the corny pun as he grabbed his tank top off of the stool next to him. Even that small movement was painful, and he winced.

J.J. sighed as a flash of concern crossed her face, "X, you've gotta be more careful."

Upon the admission, she immediately replaced the vulnerable expression with her typical nonchalance.

"We can't make any money if you're laid up."

He laughed, falling in line with J.J.'s efforts to lighten the mood.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah."

When she saw that he'd be alright, she picked up her own jacket and turned to go.

"J?" he called as she was leaving.

"Yeah, X?" she answered, turning to meet his eyes.

He took a couple of steps forward, then stopped.

"Thanks," he said gruffly, and she nodded her acceptance.

She'd just lifted the gate on his lift when he called her back.

"J?"

Her lips curled in a soft smile as she turned again.

"Yeah, X?"

He shoved his hands deeply into his pockets.

"Why didn't we ever get together?"

It felt like an eternity passed before she answered,

"That's a very good question, X."

Before he could respond, she stepped out the door, pulled down the gate, and sent the lift down. Puffing a short burst of air through his nose, Xander sauntered over to the window, watching J.J. climb into her black Ford Capri and drive away. He smiled; the car was elegant and understated, just like her.

He could have gone after her if he wanted. Even with the injury, once he made it to his bike, he could catch up with her easily. He shook his head as if to discourage himself. J.J. wanted to play it cool. He could too. Besides, she'd said she'd come back tomorrow.

Walking to the fridge to grab a juice, Xander smiled. J.J. always kept her word.

**The End**


	2. Kick, Push, Coast

**Summary: **There's more than one reason why J.J. calls him X. Set in 2001.

**AN:** Lyrics taken from the song "Kick, Push" by Lupe Fiasco

**Disclaimer: The only characters I use are from the movie. I don't own any of them, etc., etc., etc.**

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**Kick, Push, Coast**

_So come roll with me – Just a rebel, looking for a place to be…_

It would have been your typical, peaceful Monday morning. It was 8:30 a.m. Waves crashed up against the shore in the wake of a fresh sunrise. The sky was a pale blue. Seagulls circled above the water, but weren't up to making much noise yet. Some yards back, several towers of super-high-priced, peach-painted condos overlooked prime beach-front property, catching the early light and shimmering – just perfectly.

It would have been your typical, peaceful Monday morning…if not for the 30 people who'd invaded the beach a short time ago. Soon, pairs of Vans and bare feet squished footprints into the pristine sand. Dark board shorts and carelessly ripped tank tops and wife beaters stood in contrast to the bright day.

And the noise – loud music and raucous laughter banished the meditative quiet that had existed before. Lawn chairs sprawled casually, and where necessary, fence posts and sand were passable seating. The party was in full swing, only interrupted by various people looking over their shoulders toward the condos and the city. A hum of excitement filled the air. Everyone was waiting…

"We're back!"

The voice was greeted by a cheer reverberating from the crowd. J.J. laughed in response.

"Yeah. Like yall'd be cheering if we'd come back without the food."

She and the girl who'd accompanied her were laden down with bags. Several of the men rushed over to help them bring the food to the beach, and the hungry pack fell upon it as soon as the bags touched the ground. J.J. pushed through them, rescuing one bag from their clutches before they could snatch it.

Scowling at the nearest partiers, she brushed her blond braids back from her face, briefly mopping her brow with the hem of her t-shirt. Laughter was heard again, and she turned, discerning one deep laugh in particular.

"Oh – you got jokes? Bet you wouldn't be laughing if one of these fools had got your tacos."

Her remark was directed to one Xander Cage, extreme sports enthusiast and self-proclaimed extraordinaire. He sat back on the fence, resting calmly amidst the frenzy J.J. had narrowly avoided. Her annoyance did nothing to deter his laughter.

"C'mon, J. We're just excited. I know you are too."

J.J. merely rolled her eyes and shrugged, trudging through the sand to where he sat. She stuck her arm through the hoops of the bag and prepared to hoist herself up, but before she could, Xander reached out, latched onto her hips, lifted her in the air, and plunked her unceremoniously down beside him.

She gasped, surprised enough to have lost her breath. As she recovered, Xander quipped,

"You're welcome," and then grunted, "food!" doing his best impression of a caveman and thrusting out his hand for a taco.

"You're a nut," J.J. scowled, but it was immediately replaced with a smile as she dug into the bag.

"Let's see," she said to herself, scanning the writing out the outside of the foil-wrapped bundle, "Barbacoa, extra chile…"

"That's mine," Xander said eagerly, pulling it from her.

Immediately, J.J. was on the offensive, snatching it back and raising an eyebrow.

"No it isn't," she replied.

His expression could have rivaled a basset-hound.

"But I love chile," he nearly wined.

J.J. shook her head.

"You sure do. You love it until 20 minutes later when you've got wicked heartburn. I refuse to miss this 'cause I'm at the store buying you Tums!"

Xander grumbled under his breath, but willingly accepted the "chile-less" taco. Apparently it agreed with him. He downed it in two bites and immediately dove into the bag for another.

A natural silence fell over the group as they ate, so everyone heard the loud grind of machinery headed their way. All eyes immediately turned toward the condos, specifically the large plot of land between the condos and the beach. When the two bulldozers finally appeared, a loud cheer sounded from the group. Food was forgotten as the excited people ran to stand with Xander and J.J. by the fence.

Other construction crew members soon arrived. They were quite perplexed to see that they had an audience at a run-of-the-mill groundbreaking. Nonetheless, they had a job to do. The crew cleared the grounds, and one of the bulldozers roared to life again, driving up onto the plot of land.

Xander and his crew waited, holding their breath. Unconsciously, he reached out for J.J. She grabbed his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

They watched, and waited, eyes following the bulldozer's blade as it rose into the air, then plunged into the ground below, scooping up a full shovel of grass and dirt.

At that, the group broke into celebration, laughter, and applause. J.J. retained her hold on Xander's hand, jumping up and down in glee.

He was surrounded by ecstatic friends and fans, but through it all, Xander was strangely silent. He face was bathed in a serene calm, a bit of a smile gracing his strong mouth.

In the midst of the happy uproar, he held onto J.J.'s hand, pulling her firmly toward him and hugging her around the waist. When she looked up at him, they both broke out into full grins.

* * *

"Okay, okay! Everybody settle down!" J.J. laughed from her place on top of the counter. Looking out over the group gathered at Xander's loft, she reached into her back pocket. As she pulled out a wrinkled piece of paper, everyone got quiet, watching her curiously.

His body carelessly straddled the arm of a nearby sofa, but Xander's face looked slightly nervous at the sight of the paper.

"J," he said cautiously, "that had better not be what I think it is…"

At his words, she just laughed, unfolding the paper.

"Now I know we're all still a little bummed about the cops running us off the beach…"

Everyone booed accordingly as she concluded, "but the party ain't gonna stop!"

The group roared their approval, then turned their attention to the paper she held.

This," J.J. said with exaggerated ceremony, "is the product of 3 shots each of Tequila and Goldslauger. I was okay, but X was plastered."

She paused while everyone laughed, and those nearest to Xander playfully punched him in the back and shoulders. He just shook his head and rolled his eyes.

"Anyway," she continued, " You know X gets a little sentimental when he's drunk, and he demanded that I take down this list for him."

She smoothed out the paper, drawing out the suspense as Xander prepared for the humiliation. She cleared her throat and began to read.

"Ten things I want to do before I die…" she proclaimed, and everyone gave a preemptory cheer.

"Number one: get skateboarding legalized everywhere!"

Everyone cheered again.

"Number two - climb Mount Everest! Number three – go snowboarding during an avalanche!"

She paused then, and everyone waited expectantly.

"And this one – which we'll be checking off today," she paused again, pulling a red marker out of her pocket and removing the cap, "Number four – build a skate park in the middle of the suburbs!"

That one got a standing ovation, with everyone hooting and clapping as J.J. crossed it off of the list. Once the noise dimmed, J.J. stooped down to grab her drink. She lifted it into the air, and everyone followed suit.

"To X!"

The sentiment was echoed wholeheartedly as everyone drank to the man of the hour. He ducked his head, looking immensely bashful, but he was smiling.

* * *

"J, get up. I want to cross something else off the list."

J. J. looked up, bleary-eyed. She scratched her forehead, trying to wake up. She'd crashed with Xander in the aftermath of the party, and it was apparently the next day. She groaned, rasping,

"What time is it?"

"Six."

"Six what?" she queried angrily. She already knew the answer, though.

"I made breakfast," he countered, reaching behind him to a tray on the dresser. He set a surprisingly well-made sausage omelet on J.J's lap once she rose to a sitting position. When she was settled, he handed her an orange juice.

"Eat up," he commanded, sitting down to latch up his boots.

J.J. laughed, noting that he was in his motocross gear, then waxed serious.

"You sober enough to try this now?"

"Yep," he answered, looking her straight in the eye.

She nodded.

"Okay."

* * *

J.J. had started to loll off to sleep again when the van finally came to a stop. When she opened her eyes, she was not at all surprised to see the dirt-packed hills of the track. As it was such an ungodly hour, the race/practice way was deserted. Xander would have plenty of room.

In the time it took for her to unbelt and climb out of the front, he was already out and unhooking his bike. As he wheeled it around the side of the van, J reached back into the cab to get his helmet.

Side-by-side, they walked down a hill, across the lawn, through the gates, and down into the valley that held the racetrack.

"You got the list?" Xander asked.

J.J. nodded mutely, keeping her thoughts to herself, then headed to the bleachers to watch. As he wheeled his bike to the start of the track, she unfolded the paper.

"Number 7," she read to herself, "Land a Superman Seatgrab Barrel Roll."

She sighed, her hand straying to her pocket and the gift she'd meant to give Xander yesterday. It was a good thing she'd waited. He'd probably need a pick-me-up after what he was about to try. Xander had been working on the trick for a couple of years now, but for some reason, it just hadn't clicked.

The Superman Seatgrab Barrel Roll: it seemed to be the only trick Xander [i]couldn't[/i] do. Separately, the tricks were simple enough. You got some good air and let go of one of the handle bars, lifting your bottom half off the seat, extending your legs out and back (like you were flying), then grabbing the seat with your free hand. The barrel roll was basically just a back flip you did while sitting on the bike.

With enough height, you could do either trick with no problem, but both? Unless the laws of gravity no longer applied, a biker just fell too fast to essentially let go of his bike, get back on (mid-air, mind you), and then flip. Unless you could get an inhuman amount of air…well –

"Shit!" Xander yelled, and J.J. was jerked from her thoughts in time to see him go crashing to the ground.

"X!" she screamed, running down from the bleachers and onto the track.

When she reached him, he was in a heap on the ground, but the moving and groaning was sufficient proof he wasn't dead.

She dropped to his side, helping him to turn over onto his back. His helmet-clad head landed awkwardly in her lap and he groaned again. Gingerly, she reached down for his goggles, pulling them back to rest on the crown of the helmet. He looked at her blearily.

"Ouch."

"I'll bet," J.J. answered softly with a humorless laugh. Her hand dropped down to rub his shoulder, and she asked him if he could stand. When he answered the affirmative, she helped him to his feet. Taking it upon herself to wheel the bicycle, the two walked slowly back to the truck.

By the time they reached it, his walk was a bit more sure, but he didn't object when J.J. held out her hand for his keys. After divesting of his jersey and the various pads on his chest, shoulders and arms, Xander plopped into the passenger's seat with a soft groan.

Sensing his desire for silence, J.J. drove the first few miles without speaking. Then suddenly, X spoke.

"Can we turn into that shopping center over there?"

J.J. nodded, confused, but did as he asked, driving into the nondescript strip mall. She parked where he directed, making sure the van was locked securely before following Xander to wherever it was he was going.

After a few seconds, she knew. The word "tattoos" flashed brightly in neon green tubing.

She shook her head and smiled. Well, if it would make him feel better…

By the time she walked into the store, Xander was already sitting down with an artist making a simple sketch of what he wanted. J.J. spotted a nearby chair, but her curiosity got the better of her and she ventured over to see what Xander had cooked up.

Soon, the man was seated facedown in a massage chair, the corded muscles of his next bared for the needle.

J.J. started to look over the artist's shoulder, until Xander gave her a sound reproof.

"I want it to be a surprise," he said, his voice muffled. "If you're bored, you should get a tattoo while you wait."

J.J. laughed.

"No thanks. You can't top the tiger," she laughed, gesturing to the feline paws gracing her chest.

J.J. intermittently spent the next few hours looking through books of sample drawings and dozing off in one of the semi-comfortable chairs in the waiting area. Eventually, she was awakened by the sound of Xander calling her name. She rubbed her eyes, shaking her head at his obvious glee.

He was sitting when she got to the back of the shop, handing his credit card to the artist. Quickly, he motioned her over. When she came closer, he directed her around to look at the tattoo.

It was a series of three X's, black on red, standing in stark relief to the caramel skin of his neck. J.J. shook her head in disbelief, vainly attempting to stifle a laugh as her hand skimmed the small box in her pocket.

"What?" Xander asked, worried.

J.J. quickly stopped.

"Nothing, X. It looks really good."

She paused.

"But I though that the Superman Seatgrab Barrel Roll was only two tricks."

"It technically breaks down into three. And two X's wouldn't have looked right," he answered.

J.J. nodded, lips pursed, and followed him out of the store.

Once they got back to the loft, J.J. went inside to help Xander put some Neosporin on the back of his neck.

"You want to put a bandage on it?" she asked, although she knew he'd want to put the new ink on immediate display.

He shook his head.

"You want to tell me why you were laughing earlier?" he asked, his voice strangely tense.

"I didn't realize you'd noticed that. I wasn't laughing at you. I promise."

He wasn't convinced, so she came around the stool to look him in the face.

"I meant to give you this last night," she said, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a small velvet-covered box. "It's kind of funny that I forgot, especially with the new tat."

His brow furrowed quizzically, and he smirked.

"You proposing to me, J?"

She sighed, rolling her eyes as he snickered.

"No!"

She abruptly handed him the box, crossing her arms in mock anger. When he opened it, his eyes grew wide. Cradled in a bed of velvet was a ring molded into a sterling silver "X."

"Wow."

"I'm glad you like it," she smiled, continuing, "and it's not just for your name. I found that list a while ago and I got to thinking."

She jumped onto the next stool, swiveling sideways to look at him.

"You've done so many amazing things and you're gonna do a lot more. I know that right now you feel like you've failed, but I promise you, it won't be long before you're crossing everything off of that list."

She almost fell off the stool when he wrapped his arms around her, nearly crushing her to his chest. Her free hand came up to pat him on the back of the head, carefully avoiding grazing the tattoo.

"I'm just glad to be along for the ride," she smiled, voice muffled.

Once Xander let her go, he promptly grabbed the ring and slid it onto his finger. Holding it up so J.J. could see, he told her,

"The only way this comes off is if I'm dead."

J.J. smiled, brushing her hair back from her face.

"And that better not be anytime soon," she responded.

Xander nodded, and then pursed his lips, apparently in deep thought.

When J.J. raised an eyebrow in question, he replied,

"At least not until after I land that trick."

**The End**


	3. Step Up

**Summary:** 2001 – X gets a fine, and he doesn't have the money to pay it. Confronted with an offer for "sponsorship," he and J.J. have a choice to make: sell out, or step up?

**AN: **Inspired by the song "Step Up," by Samantha Jade. Corny – I know, but it's been stuck in my head for a week straight!

**Disclaimer: The movie characters all belong to Columbia/Tristar, not me :(**

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**"Step Up"**

_No matter what we go through, you step up, I'll step up too…it's me and you…_

It was not the type of place where you'd expect to see an extreme sportsman. The building was tall and impersonal, walled in blue glass and brown siding, designed to make a person feel caged-in, small. It was not at all the type of place where you'd expect to see an extreme sportsman, at least not on a good day.

"God, I hate this fuckin' tie," Xander growled, pulling furiously at the knot around his neck. He felt equally angry about the starch-pressed suit and dress shirt restricting his movements.

J.J. walked beside him as they climbed the stairs. Her outfit was less formal, but the slacks and blouse were still far more formal than she usually wore. She also wore an extremely sympathetic look.

"It's gonna be okay, X. I never heard of anybody getting prison time for trespassing."

Xander huffed in response. He and J.J. had been in the process of scouting for locations for his latest stunt. He tended to favor a certain kind of area, the kind where his type didn't belong: private beach-front property belonging to the very wealthy, and the walled-in acreage holdings of various corporate machines.

This particular instance just hadn't been his lucky day. Some pampered housewife had seen his bike on her piece of beach and called the cops, and he had been arrested for trespassing. The glass sunroom he'd accidentally crashed through trying to get away hadn't helped either. Now he'd been summoned to appear for his day in court.

As they climbed the steps of the Long Beach Courthouse, Xander clenched his teeth angrily.

_Who says someone can 'own' a piece of the ocean anyway?_

After going through the metal detector, the two walked down the tiled hallways, looking for their specific room. The doors and hallways all looked the same, and it made the both of them cringe.

Finally, they found the right courtroom. Xander opened the door for J.J., then followed behind her. The room was filled with people, each of them facing some type of minor offense. The two sat, patiently waiting for Xander's turn.

As Xander watched people go before the judge, his confidence grew. Even though this was actually his second trespassing offense, the judge seemed to be feeling lenient today. A lot of people had parking and speeding tickets, but they were either getting out of them or getting reduced fines. He rubbed his "X" ring and smiled when J.J. gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

"You'll probably just be stuck with replacing the windows you broke," J.J. whispered, "and a heartfelt apology," she quipped with a small smile.

Xander rolled his eyes.

After about an hour, the court clerk finally called Xander's name. He came up to the table and faced the bench.

The judge scowled at him through his glasses, every strand of his white hair perfectly in place.

"Xander Cage," he mused, looking over the file the clerk handed him, "you stand accused of trespassing. Normally, this is a simple misdemeanor, as you know, but it appears that this is your second offense. In addition," he looked down the rap sheet, "you are accused of the destruction of property. However, the police report that this was an accident, so there won't be a criminal trial."

"Yes, your honor," Xander responded quickly, barely keeping the smirk off of his face.

"Now, the civil court has already ruled that you must pay the cost for the destroyed property – several panels of custom-tempered glass – as well as the legal fees, which amounts to five thousand thirty-eight dollars and twenty-one cents."

Xander nodded.

_That's some awfully expensive glass, but if we cut back a few – yeah, it'll be tight, but we can afford it._

"And," the judge continued, "as this is your second offense, there is a mandatory fine."

Xander nodded again, figuring he was in for a thousand dollar charge.

"I'm of what you'd call the 'old school,' Mr. Cage, the kind of person who believes that law-breakers should be punished, not coddled. The fact that this is your second offense leads me to believe that you have no interest in modifying your behavior or changing your ways on your own."

He frowned at Xander again.

"I'm going to do you a favor, Mr. Cage. I can't give you any prison time, but I'm about to make sure I never see you in my courtroom again."

He raised his gavel, and Xander felt his heart begin to pound.

"The defendant will be fined the maximum for the charges brought. Five thousand dollars."

The gavel came down, and so did Xander's jaw. He didn't have to look behind him to know that J.J. was equally shocked. Before Xander could open his mouth to protest the verdict, the judge left and the court was in recess.

As Xander stepped back away from the bench, a court clerk approached him.

"Mr. Cage?" he asked quietly, somewhat intimidated by Xander's bulk.

"Yeah?" Xander answered, looking none too approachable.

The clerk pressed an envelope into his hand.

"A courier brought this for you, care of the Courthouse."

Xander nodded, pocketing the letter and walking back to J.J.

The ride from the courthouse was much more subdued than the ride to it. J.J. knew that Xander needed to think, or at least seethe, in peace. When they pulled up to Xander's loft, J.J. knew without asking that she was expected to come inside. As Xander went ahead to unlock his door, J.J. shut off her Capri, pulling an attaché from under the seat.

He was already divested of his jacket and tie and sprawled out across one of his skate ramps by the time she came inside. Silently, she went over to his bar, kicking off her heels along the way. The attaché was dropped unceremoniously onto the counter as she climbed onto a bar stool.

Once the case was opened, she pulled several leather books from the inside. Opening one labeled "Accounts," J.J. rested her forearms on the counter, gave a deep sigh and began to peruse it.

From across the room, Xander groaned. He brought a bottled Sobe up to his mouth and took a small sip, then he placed the bottle against his forehead so he could feel the cold.

"Ten thousand dollars." he spat, cursing softly to himself. He looked over at J.J.

Do we have it?" he asked, although he already knew the answer.

She sighed in response.

"Not really. Five thousand maybe, but this much…"

Xander cursed again. The two sat in silence for some time, then J.J. asked,

"What did that man in the courtroom give you?"

Xander sat up. He'd forgotten all about the strange package.

"Maybe it's a check for ten thousand plus."

J.J. had to laugh.

"Yeah, from your secret admirer."

That lightened the mood briefly, and Xander leaned over to grab the letter out of his jacket. He'd never even looked at the return address. When he did, his entire body went still. J.J. noticed the change immediately, and came to sit beside him.

"Oh my god," she breathed.

The return address read: The Honorable Richard Hotchkiss, United States Senate, California Office.

The minute details of the address were completely overlooked as two pairs of eyes rested on that name. Richard Hotchkiss was one of California's senators, and a prominent one at that. His campaign of late had been youth culture across the nation, particularly any kind of music that was even remotely interesting, video games, and skateboarding/any kind of extreme sports. Basically, his mission was to wipe the country of anything worth doing.

It was not that surprising that Hotchkiss knew who Xander was. Though the man was just beginning to make any serious money from website memberships and DVD sales, Xander's name had been known in the underground for a while. Therefore, he made an excellent target.

"Do we even want to know?" J.J. asked, as Xander ripped off the top of the envelope.

He cast a sidelong look at her and opened the paper.

"Dear Mr. Cage," he read, "When I was informed of your latest offense, I felt compelled to contact you. No pun intended, but I am aware of your multiple trespasses against the law-abiding citizens of California and the United States as a whole. People like you are the reason that there is so much rebellion and youth violence in our great state and nation.

In my quest to make our nation a better place, and once I heard from my dear friend about the way you destroyed her beautiful home, I also felt compelled to write to Judge Millings with my personal recommendation that you receive the maximum penalty for this repeated crime. If it were up to me, you would be in jail, but California law is more lenient than I would be.

You are a miscreant, a rebel, and a malcontent, and I worry constantly that an example like yours will lead the innocent and impressionable youth of our nation to be the same. That will not happen if I have anything to do with it. My office will be keeping abreast of your actions from this point on. Know that if you so flippantly break the law again, you will be severely punished. Today's fine will only be a taste of what I call, 'The Justice Zone.' Sincerely – "

"Richard Hotchkiss, United States Senate," J.J. read with him, still in disbelief about the letter.

"I can't believe this. He rigged the damn trial!"

At this point Xander was on his feet, ripping the letter to shreds.

"X! Don't – that's evidence!" J.J. admonished, rising to calm him.

"Right. Like Long Beach's finest' are ever gonna believe a 'miscreant' like me. This is _not_ over!"

As Xander fumed, J.J. looked toward the door. She thought she'd heard a knock. After another moment, her suspicions were confirmed.

At the door, she was surprised to find another courier with several Fed-ex packages. He stood there with a dolly, looking more than a little nonplussed at the sound of Xander still yelling in the background. J.J. shrugged sheepishly in explanation, stepping back so the courier could wheel the dolly into the elevator.

When they came into the apartment, Xander paused only briefly to look at the delivery man. J.J. took it upon herself to direct the man to a place where he could unload the packages. She also signed for them and showed the man out.

Xander had calmed a little by the time she came back. He was seated again, eyeing the packages with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion from across the room. J.J. reached for the smallest of the packages. It was a Fed-ex envelope labeled with the number "1" and bore the return address "Marrin Sports Productions, INC."

"You've got to be kidding me!" J.J. groaned.

He clearly did not want to know, but despite himself, he asked what was wrong.

"It's these damn sports people. We blocked their calls, so now they're sending mail."

Still fussing, she opened the envelope and pulled out the letter.

"Dear X and J.J., Heard about your bit of bad luck. We'd like to help. Enclosed are two tickets to an exclusive party we are throwing tonight at Vanguard, and a little something extra. Bring the packet with you tonight so we can discuss what it will take to finally make the two of you a part of the Marrin Sports family. Sincerely, Joseph Marrin, CEO."

"Vanguard, huh? Not exactly our kind of place."

Laughing softly to herself, J.J. laid the letter aside and reached for package number two. The medium-size box opened with minimal effort. Xander came over as J.J. picked up the explanatory letter on the top.

"X, here is just a little example of what you and Marrin Sports could do together. Enjoy."

It was like Christmas, despite the day's earlier defeat, and the two eagerly reached into the box, pulling out matching glass beverage bottles. It was absolutely hilarious. Each bottle bore a label with the name "Xander-aid" printed in bold script. A picture of X in his motocross gear was on the label too. The box held about ten bottles total.

"Oh this is too much!" J.J. roared.

After a brief moment of apprehension, the two broke open the bottles' seals and sampled the contents. They were promptly spit into the sink.

"Too sweet!" Xander sputtered as he grabbed his Sobe to rinse the taste out of his mouth. J.J. quickly took it from him and did the same.

Box number three was a little bigger. They both hoped it wasn't something that could be ingested. The letter of explanation read, "just a little gift from Marrin Sports."

Xander reached in and pulled out two trendy leather jackets - one black and one brown. Both bore the name "Marrin Sports" across the back. Quick examination showed that the brown jacket was tailored for a woman's frame.

J.J. grabbed the jacket eagerly, then frowned when she saw the large emblazonment on the back. Her name was stitched on the front in delicate monogram, and on either side of the lapel, the jacket bore mirror images of her tiger paw tattoos.

Xander's jacket had a mirror image of his neck tattoo on the collar. Xander tilted his head, examining the garment. Other than the giant name on the back, it was a really nice jacket.

"Well they've got good taste…"

J.J. nodded her agreement and reached for the last box. It was tall, a little taller than Xander was, and flat. It leaned benignly against the wall. With Xander's help, she got it opened. They were both startled to see Xander's smirking face looking back at them. They couldn't say where Marrin Sports had gotten the photo from, but before them stood a life-size cardboard cut-out of Xander in all his motocross glory.

"Oh – it's my worst fears come true. Your evil twin…"

J.J. had barely spoken the joke before Xander picked her up and threw her over his shoulder, poking her roughly in the side and laughing as she fought to get away.

"Ok – ok! I'm sorry. I take it back!" J.J. screamed, and he dropped her on the floor.

Laying back and trying to catch her breath, J.J. spotted another envelope lying on the floor. She grabbed it, ripped it open and read,

"Picture these in extreme sports stores all over the nation. We are looking forward to seeing you both tonight."

She began to fold the letter and put it away, when she noticed that the envelope wasn't empty. Upon examination, her mouth gaped open.

"What?" Xander asked.

In response, she simply handed him the paper. It was a check. It was unsigned, but everything else was filled in: the addressee – Xander Cage, the info line – Payment Advance, the amount…one hundred thousand dollars.

Xander joined her on the floor, holding the check gingerly in both hands. He frowned so deeply that it crinkled lines into his forehead.

"Do you think they were in on it?"

"Who?" J.J. asked, returning the frown.

"Marrin and Hotchkiss. If we can't pay this fine, we're done for, and if we go with Marrin, we're still done for. They get me off the street either way!"

"Marrin doesn't want you off the street, X. He wants you in his pocket," J.J. spoke quietly, biting her lip.

They sat in silence, then.

"Looks like they're serious," Xander stated after a long moment.

"Yeah," J.J. answered, as she pulled out a thick contract, the last item in the envelope.

"What do we do, J?" X asked looking at her earnestly.

J.J. turned to look at him. She saw his worried posture and the uncertainty in his eyes. She knew that to Xander, buying into this sponsorship thing would be equivalent to selling his soul. It would mean willingly putting on a leash, signing your rights over to someone else. Where to ride, what to do, and what to wear, suddenly weren't your choice anymore.

Still, Xander didn't really know anything about the money side of his stunts, or how much it took to keep things running. Their "company" was in trouble, and someone had magically and suddenly dropped them a lifeline. It was impossible to tell if they'd make it out of this one without help.

She cradled her face in her hands.

"I don't know, X. I wish I did." She mumbled, deep in thought.

After a few pensive moments, she concluded,

"We don't really have a choice, and Marrin knows it. Seems like it'll be a nice party, at least," she offered sheepishly.

Xander did his best to return her wilted smile, but only one corner of his mouth turned up. J.J. moved closer to put her arm around his shoulders.

"We'll sort this out, X," she spoke to comfort him.

"Okay."

* * *

It was a cacophony of pulsing noises and lights flashing to mirror the beats. A disco ball spun above a sea of gyrating dancers. Like birds, women in white floated above, swinging from strategically placed trapezes. At the far end of the floor, a DJ and an army of technicians orchestrated the mesmerizing scene.

Xander and J.J. followed behind the waitress as she weaved her way through the club. The two paid little attention to the lavishness of the venue, thinking only of the upcoming meeting.

Pulling briefly at his silver chain, Xander sighed. The silver ball bearings felt warm, and it was comforting. His outfit was equally comfortable: he'd worn blue jeans and a simple sleeveless black shirt, showing as many of his tattoos as possible.

J.J. had gone for a more impressive look. Her dress was sapphire blue, tailored to cling at her hips with an asymmetrical hemline that showed off her toned legs and swung just above the floor in the back. Likewise, her pearl drop earrings swayed to and fro, adding to the aura of graceful movement. In her right arm, she cradled the check and the contract in a thick envelope.

Soon, the waitress led the two of them outside and onto a lush patio. Large potted trees were made to look as if they grew wild, and the construction of the room drew the eye to the laughing alabaster Buddha sitting at the head of the room. The waitress pointed in that direction, and the two saw a dark-haired man seated, or enthroned more so, on a cushioned bench surrounded by people.

As the waitress left , Xander and J.J. exchanged a look, and the both of them stood a little straighter. At J.J.'s nod, Xander looped his hand around her waist, and they made their way to where Joseph Marrin was seated.

When he saw them, the Sports executive immediately shooed his audience away, gesturing grandly for the two to be seated. He gripped Xander's hand firmly.

"X! So glad you could make it – and J, you look _stunning_."

J.J. smiled graciously.

"Well thank you. I do try."

Marrin summoned a waitress and drinks, and once everyone was settled, he began.

"I half thought you wouldn't show up," he laughed, adjusting his jacket.

Xander chuckled in response.

"I wouldn't miss this. _We_ wouldn't."

Marrin took that as encouragement, and continued.

"Well that's just great. So," he said as he rubbed his hands together, "let's make this quick so we can party. You go ahead and sign the contract, so I can sign that check."

"Oh, wait," J.J. interjected, "we can't do that until after the toast."

She raised her glass of champagne. Xander raised his glass in concert, and Marrin followed, looking befuddled. J.J. cleared her throat and smiled.

"To Joseph Marrin, the ballsy exec who tried to take advantage of a bad situation, who had the _audacity_ to attempt to buy a man too honorable to be bought, and who tried to make him to sell out for far less than he was worth."

As if on cue, Xander stood, grabbed the envelope and opened it. Turning it upside down, he emptied the shredded check and contract into Marrin's lap. The scraps of paper flew everywhere.

J.J. took a delicate sip out of her glass.

"Cheers, mothafucka," she grinned, adding the rest of her champagne to the mess.

She gingerly placed the empty glass on the bench and sauntered away. Before he joined her, Xander smirked,

"And that 'Xander-aid' was _terrible_."

J.J. was waiting for him inside, and he wrapped her up in a bear hug, laughing into her hair.

"That was priceless."

"Yeah," Xander agreed, before he suddenly grew sober.

"Selling my bike is gonna suck, though," he finished.

J.J. squeezed his hand.

"It'll sell for a fortune on the internet, and once we pay the fine we'll get you a new bike, X - a better one."

He nodded, and she squeezed his hand, pulling it to lead him out of the club. As they moved past the dance floor, he suddenly stopped. J.J. looked at him quizzically, and he smiled.

"You got all dressed up J.J. Let's not waste it."

He gestured to the dance floor, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

J.J. shrugged,

"A dress like this _should_ be seen…"

"Come on J. Me and you."

"Looks like," she smiled, and her braids shook as she laughed.

They stopped talking then, and she grasped his hand as he led her out onto the dance floor.

**THE END**


	4. Back in the Day

**Summary: **1985/2000 – Xander's Aunt Luna has been in the restaurant business all her life. She and Xander have a special ritual for each of his birthdays. The message of the ritual stays the same, despite how Xander's life may change.

**AN: **This piece was inspired by the song "Back in the Day" by Ahmad.

**Disclaimer: Xander and J.J. obviously belong to Columbia and Tristar, etc, and Matt Hoffman belongs to himself, but Aunt Luna, the blue convertible and the grilled cheese are mine ;P**

**

* * *

**

**Back in the Day**

_Back in the day when I was young - I'm not a kid anymore_

_But some days I sit and wish I was a kid again…_

**Los Angeles, California – 1985**

It was the perfect summer day. The sun was shining. The sky was that exact shade of robin's egg blue that promised great weather. The ocean breeze blew softly enough to put the wind at your back and not in your face. It was the type of breeze a young skateboarder loved and the type of day too – made all the sweeter by the fact that the start of the school year was but a short two weeks away.

Xander Cage coasted along, pushing his right foot along the ground as his skateboard carried him down the sidewalk. Deftly he weaved his way through pedestrians, dog walkers, and mothers pushing strollers, his wallet chain swinging forward and back as he moved.

He was headed for his third-most frequent destination after home and the skate park. When he reached the boardwalk, the crowd grew thicker, forcing him to slow down a little. As his destination came into view, he veered off the boardwalk and into a parking lot. An electric blue sign flashed brightly, with the name "Lucky's Restaurant" blinking at him in a strobe-like pattern.

Grinning as he saw the ever-familiar "no skateboarding" sign, he ignored it completely and rolled right up onto the sidewalk. As he drew near the restaurant's entrance, he stepped off of his board and picked it up. Being careful not to get the board caught in the revolving door, he strode inside.

She was expecting him, and when the dark-haired older woman saw Xander come in the door, her face broke into a bright smile.

"Hey, Aunt Luna!" he called as she came forward to hug him.

Luna Cage was Xander's father's older sister, but she was usually more like a mother than an aunt. Today was no different. Rubbing a hand across his fuzzy scalp, she joked,

"Most people are after their kids to cut their hair, but isn't this a little extreme?"

"No," Xander huffed in mock anger, "it's aerodynamic. I'll never be able to pull a 540 if I've got hair in my face."

Aunt Luna looked puzzled.

"The 540's a spin, Aunt Luna," Xander answered, sighing at the ineptitude of adults.

His aunt laughed,

"I know that, baby. You've only been talking about it for a year. And speaking of – we've got your window booth ready…and your special lunch."

Xander grinned at first, then scowled.

"It's _my_ birthday. Why don't I get to choose what I eat?"

Aunt Luna ignored his complaint, giving him a playful swat on the behind as she stopped to pour coffee for some nearby customers. He continued on to his booth, sliding into it and folding his arms. When she came by to check on him, he frowned,

"This is a big birthday too, you know. I'm not a kid anymore – I'm starting [i]_high school_.[/i]"

"You think high schoolers don't eat grilled cheese? What's up with you, kid? We've only been doing this since your fifth birthday."

Adjusting the skirt of her light blue uniform, Aunt Luna slid into the seat across from him. Xander looked down at the table, refusing to meet his aunt's gaze. When she stretched out her hand, though, he placed his own on the table so she could take it.

"Hey, kid."

The affection in her voice was enough to get him to raise his eyes, and she knew immediately what was wrong.

"I remember how nervous I was when I first started high school," she stated, acting as if she were just making conversation, "I was worried that they wouldn't think I was cool enough, or that I'd blow up the chemistry lab and get expelled."

That drew a laugh from her nephew and Luna smiled.

"You're a great kid, Xander Cage – and a smart one. You're gonna do great."

"Yeah?" Xander asked hopefully.

"Definitely."

The mini-crisis was averted then, and Aunt Luna went back to work.

"Order up!"

The bell dinged as the short order cook placed a steaming grilled-cheese sandwich at the window.

"Hey Marv!" Aunt Luna yelled, "stick a candle in it! My nephew's fourteen today!"

* * *

**Los Angeles, California – 2000**

These days, Xander still liked to feel the sun and the wind on his face, but now he had a different mode of transportation. He still liked to make an entrance, though. The throaty roar of his motorbike announced his presence to everyone in the restaurant as he pulled into the parking lot. He soon found an empty space, parking sideways to fill it.

In addition to a new mode of transport, Xander now carried a passenger as well. Reaching for her helmet, J.J. grunted painfully, stretching her sore arms.

"It is not that bad, J.J. You're being dramatic," he teased as he hopped nimbly off the bike.

She was much slower to follow, protesting wholeheartedly the entire way.

"You know that straddling this crotch rocket always makes me sore. Why can't we just take my car?" she groaned as she propped the helmet on her hip.

Xander merely rolled his eyes, strolling into the doors of the restaurant. J.J. stopped briefly to stretch a little more. Her eyes strayed to the restaurant's glaring electric sign. The bright blue lights still shined, though the neon tubing now spelled "Luna's Restaurant" instead of "Lucky's."

Twisting once more to stretch her back and legs, J.J. followed Xander inside. Aunt Luna's hair was now streaked liberally with gray, and her face bore its share of smile lines, but she was still the indelibly vibrant woman she was fifteen years ago.

J.J. reached out eagerly for her hug.

"Good to see you Janette," Luna smiled, "I was beginning to think you dropped my Xander once and for all."

J.J. laughed, "you won't be getting rid of me that easily, Aunt Luna."

The older woman nodded her assent, grabbing J.J.'s left hand as the young woman drew back. Looking pointedly at the ring finger, Luna cast a sidelong glance at her nephew.

"I see our J.J.'s still single. You better take care of that kid, before someone else does," she said, giving Xander the 'evil-eye.'

Xander's face reddened the slightest bit, and he hurried off to his customary booth. J.J. laughed in his wake, calling to his back,

"Don't worry about it, Aunt Luna. I can buy my _own_ diamonds – and Xander can't handle me anyways."

As the two made their way over to Xander's booth, Aunt Luna continued the joke.

"Janette, you should come work for me. You get to wear sneakers every day, and I'll find you a nice man since my boy isn't stepping up to the plate."

Xander continued to blush, and J.J. nodded with mock gravity.

"I might have to. I'd like to get a fly corvette like yours. You know, feel the wind in my hair."

Xander had finally had enough of being the butt of their jokes, and he piped in,

"That's why we take my bike!"

The women laughed as he sighed deeply and turned his attention to the window.

"All right, Xander, we'll stop teasing you," Aunt Luna finally said.

Xander finally broke a smile.

"Thank you. This is hardly the way a man wants to be treated on his birthday."

Aunt Luna's face broke into a piteous smile.

"Aw – poor baby. Now – your grilled cheese is coming up, and J.J. – the usual?"

"Yes ma'am," J.J. nodded emphatically.

"Aunt Luna," Xander asked, " Are you ever going to let me have something besides grilled cheese on my birthday?"

"X, it's tradition."

Surprisingly, it was J.J. who spoke, rather than Luna.

"You get to order whatever you want any of the other trillion times we come here. Let Aunt Luna have this one."

Duly chastised, Xander shifted in his seat.

"I wasn't trying to hurt anybody's feelings," he spoke quickly, "I love Aunt Luna's grilled cheese. I've just always been curious."

Aunt Luna wasn't offended in the least, and she gave the two a smile as she went to put in their orders.

Soon, Xander was settled in with his grilled cheese and J.J. had her taco platter. After Aunt Luna had set down their plates, Xander wrapped his arms around her waist and squeezed her tightly.

"Thank you, Aunt Luna," he mumbled against her uniform.

The restaurant owner/waitress rested her cheek against the top of his bald head and rubbed the back of his neck.

"You're welcome, kid. You know you'll never be too old for some TLC."

Xander and J.J. ate in companionable silence then, and left payment for their meal despite Luna's protests.

As they prepared to leave, Xander called his aunt back.

"We're having my birthday party at my loft tonight. You should drop by," he smiled.

Aunt Luna grinned, "I don't think these old bones can party with people your age."

"Oh, whatever, Aunt Luna," J.J. said, rolling her eyes, "You could outdo me on my best day."

The group said their goodbyes, and J.J. and Xander climbed onto his bike and drove away.

* * *

The party was in full swing. Music played and alcohol flowed freely. The center of attention, Xander was in the middle of the group, landing a trick on the latest Tony Hawk video game.

"Yo, X!" J.J. called, working her way through the crowd of people.

"What?" he responded without taking his eyes off of the video game.

"You promised me a dance."

"Okay – one second."

It was clearly going to be longer than that, as he was still glued to the television. J.J. raised an eyebrow.

"All right then," she said in disbelief, turning to walk away.

Before she did though, she grabbed one of his nearest friends, making sure that Xander saw.

"C'mon, Hoffman," she grinned, "let's see what those feet can do when they're on solid ground."

Xander cast a withering glance Matt's way, but the trick rider simply shrugged.

"You heard the lady," Matt grinned as he grabbed J.J.'s hand and joined the crowd that was already on the makeshift dance floor.

Xander quickly tried to wrap up his turn so he could go 'cut-in.' As he was completing his last tricks, though, the phone rang.

"I got it," he yelled, leapfrogging the couch and running into the kitchen. He grabbed the cordless phone from its spot on the wall and retreated to the quietest corner he could find.

"Hello?" he said into the phone, plugging his free ear so he could hear the person on the other end.

"Hey, son."

"Mom?"

Xander was clearly confused. He had already received birthday greetings from his parents that morning, and his mother sounded really upset.

"Mom, what's wrong?" he asked.

Dottie Cage cleared her throat, but that didn't stop the heavy quiver in her voice.

"Um…Xander, I have to tell you something…you might want to sit down."

Xander didn't sit, but he did turn the corner and walk into his bedroom. Once he'd shut the door, he turned around and leaned against it. When he was settled, he asked again what was wrong.

"Baby," his mother began again, "we just got some really bad news. The police called – they said that something's happened to Aunt Luna."

Xander's free hand balled into a fist so tight that his knuckles lost their color.

"What?" he asked through gritted teeth.

"Someone tried to steal her car – and…um…there was a struggle…"

Even though he could tell where the conversation was going, Xander shook his head violently.

"There's no way, Mom. Everyone in the neighborhood knew that car was Aunt Luna's. Nobody would have messed with it!"

When he heard his mother dissolve into tears, however, he knew the worst was true.

"She got hurt, Xander. They shot her…Marvin found her and called an ambulance – but… she didn't make it…"

If his mother had anything else to say, Xander didn't hear it. The phone fell from his hand, smacking the hard wood floor with a crash as he dropped to his knees. For all of his twenty-nine years, Xander felt like a helpless kid all over again. He drew himself up into a ball and cried until he had no tears left.

* * *

"X?"

J.J. peeked around his door. She'd seen him disappear from the party, and she'd felt the urge to come and check on him. At the sound of J.J.'s voice, he didn't speak, but he rolled to his side to look at her. His eyes were so puffy they looked closed, and J.J. immediately knelt at his side. Taking quick stock of the situation, J.J. picked up the dropped phone.

"Hello, who's this? Oh – hi, Mrs. Cage."

Within a moment, J.J. had received the awful news. After she hung up with Xander's mother, she covered her face with both hands and had her own cry.

The two sat on the floor for some time; neither could have said how long. Eventually though, J.J. collected herself. She stood to her feet and reached down to her friend.

"C'mon, X. Let's get you into bed. I'll go get rid of everybody."

Reaching down to pull off Xander's shoes, J.J. helped him to crawl into bed, fully clothed. She took a shuddering breath, massaging her temples briefly, and then left to clear the party.

When she returned, the loft was completely quiet. Without preamble, she grabbed one of his oversized t-shirts from a drawer. Turning off the light, she put on the makeshift pajamas and climbed into the bed with him. Xander immediately turned and wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her blonde hair. He managed to whisper his thanks, and he felt J.J.'s nod.

* * *

It had been two weeks since Luna Cage's funeral. It had also been two weeks since Xander Cage had set foot outside his loft. He had effectively gone into hibernation, and he wasn't picking up his phone, not even for J.J.

The woman did her best to give him his space, but eventually enough was enough. She did have a spare key to Xander's loft, after all.

When she let herself into Xander's home, he was sitting on the couch, wrapped up in a comforter. He didn't look at all surprised. He gave her one look of acknowledgment, then turned his attention back to whatever he was watching on TV. J.J. didn't bother to speak or announce herself. Her arms were full with two bags of groceries, and her first priority was to set them down. She knew Xander's loft by heart, and it was easy to put everything away. Once she was through, she grabbed a griddle from one of Xander's cabinets and went to work at the stove.

A familiar smell caught Xander's interest, and he turned to watch her. His curiosity was satisfied when she approached him with a plate and a bottle of tea.

"Eat," she ordered, setting the plate down before him.

Xander's eyes widened in a mixture of surprise and anger. She'd brought him a grilled cheese sandwich. He stared at it as though it were a deadly serpent.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" he asked her, the accusation clear in his voice.

"Who the fuck do you think you're talking to?" she shot back, but then thought better of the angry retort.

"Look, I love her too, X. Just trust me, okay? Eat."

He was shaking his head, but he reached out and took one half of the diagonally-cut sandwich. After taking a hesitant bite, he froze.

"Oh my God."

It tasted just like one of Aunt Luna's. J.J. gave a huge sigh of relief.

"She slipped me her recipe about a month ago. It was supposed to be for an emergency only – I figured this fit the bill. I was so damn worried I was gonna mess it up…"

"It's perfect," Xander breathed after gulping down another bite.

They were quiet then, each reliving their own memories of Aunt Luna. Eventually, Xander asked,

"So what's the secret?"

J.J. sniffed, breaking out of her musings.

"The mustard. It's mixed with tarragon."

Xander nodded, though it was more to himself than J.J. After another moment, he grabbed the other half of the sandwich and offered it to his friend. When she took it, he raised his own sandwich half into the air in an unofficial toast.

"To Aunt Luna."

J.J. nodded her assent, taking a big bite out of her half of the sandwich. She sighed; it _was_ good. Xander finally managed a small smile in return.

Opening up his blanket, he held out his arm so J.J. could scoot closer and be wrapped up next to him. The room was comfortable and not cold in the least, but J.J. did it anyway.

**THE END**


	5. Fast Changes

**AN: **Spans the years 1989-1991 – After J.J. and Xander graduate from high school, the two begin to walk different paths. Xander tries to hold on to the past, and J.J. embraces the changes far more than he likes. Will she leave him behind?

Disclaimer: Xander and J.J. belong to Columbia and Tristar, etc. Hopefully no one cares that I'm using them.

Notes: These stories are connected by the fact that they are vignettes from Xander and J.J.'s past. I've done my best to indicate time frames, but the chronology is in no particular organization. They can be read in any order you choose. This one runs a little longer than usual - I guess my characters just had a lot to say. The story is inspired by the theme of the song "Fast Changes" by Seal.

* * *

**"Fast Changes"**

_Fast change is arriving -_

_Slow change is moving out -_

_Here we are..._

The auditorium was packed to capacity. Every square inch was filled with color, people, and noise that rose again and again, punctuated by the sound of applause and cheers. In between the clapping, you could barely make out the sound of the woman at the podium, even though she spoke into a microphone and the sound was ferried through a series of large loudspeakers.

"Carole Zimmerman!"

A lone girl clad in a maroon gown pranced happily across the stage, waving as if she was the president's wife, instead of the last student on the 784-name strong graduation list. Gleefully, she accepted her diploma to an applause louder than any president's wife had ever received. This was most likely due to the fact that the name reading was _finally _over.

Scanning the sea of maroon caps and gowns, a careful eye could have spotted a young man standing amongst the near-graduates. His bronze skin and close-shaven haircut did not make him unique, but his stance did. He was not looking at the stage – in fact, he had his back to it.

He was looking back through the crowd of seniors, making eye contact with a darker-skinned brunette who was about six rows behind him. Not a hair was out of place, and her mortarboard sat atop her head in perfect alignment, a clear contrast to the rakish tilt that the young man have given to his cap. When she looked toward him, he crossed his eyes and stuck out his tongue.

"Stop it, Xander," he saw the young woman mouth, and the look that crossed his face was mockingly contrite.

"I'm bored," he mouthed back with an exaggerated shrug.

In response, the young woman said no more, shooting him an "evil" glare and pointing toward the stage. Xander took a quick look over his shoulder, and then rapidly turned when he saw that they were about to be released.

"May I present to you, the class of 1989!"

Xander roared in delight, tossing his cap high into the air with the rest of his class. After catching the first hat that landed in his hands, he took off through the crowd, climbing over chairs to catch up with his friend.

She was standing exactly where he'd seen her last, waiting for him. Her cap was still on her head. Xander frowned, rolling his eyes.

"J, you're supposed to throw up your hat."

J.J. smirked, and her look clearly signified that she could care less about supposed graduation traditions.

"I couldn't. I've got it pinned down. Why would I mess up my hair for that?"

She giggled slightly when Xander gave an exasperated sigh. The giggle turned into a full laugh when one of his hapless classmates ran by, knocking into him and causing the young man to practically fall into J.J.'s arms.

"Now if you wanted a hug, all you had to do was ask."

"Ha, ha," Xander mumbled, but he hugged the young woman back.

When he pulled back, the two of them scanned the crowd, looking for their families. They spotted J.J.'s older brother Michael, and eventually Mr. and Mrs. James. J.J. tugged at Xander's hand.

"Let's get going. Traffic's gonna be so bad."

"Well, at least we'll be able to get in somewhere for lunch," Xander smiled.

Xander's Aunt Luna worked at a restaurant on the boardwalk, and Xander knew she had reserved the backroom for his family and for J.J.'s.

* * *

**Summer**

"You know there's a Cal State here, right?" Xander asked for the umpteenth time as he sprawled out in a chair. His eyes followed J.J. back and forth, and she walked from her closet to her bed, dropping clothes and shoes into various suitcases.

"Who on Earth would want to go to college down the street from their house? Besides, it's only six hours away. That's close enough to visit."

Xander folded his arms.

"Um…in case you forgot, Aunt Luna didn't give _me _a car for graduation."

J.J. bit her lip. She knew it would take Xander a really long time to get over the fact that _his _aunt had given _her _a car. The younger woman had been beyond surprised herself when Aunt Luna had handed her the keys to the adorable little Ford Capri that now sat in the James's driveway.

"So I'm responsible and trustworthy - what am I supposed to do, X - give the car back?"

"Yes!"

J.J. laughed, "not a chance, but you can have a ride anytime you want."

Xander's frown deepened and he folded his arms, but he kept his mouth shut, at least for a while. Lazily, his eyes traveled across J.J.'s room, pointedly skipping the poster of a shirtless and sweaty LL Cool J and coming to rest on the clock.

Noting the time, Xander reached for a tube on J.J.'s dresser and said, "J.J. – ointment time."

"Okay," the young woman replied as she packed one last shoe.

"You first," Xander continued as he came to stand behind her.

As he unscrewed the cap on the antiseptic, J.J. gingerly lowered the shoulder of her tank top, baring a newly bandaged tattoo. After squeezing a little of the ointment into his hand, Xander pulled back the bandage, revealing a red flower blossom the size of a woman's fist. He clicked his tongue, checking the look of the tattoo.

"It's still kinda scabby, but it looks okay."

J.J. nodded, but Xander didn't move for a moment. Finally she glanced over her shoulder, and she saw that he was just staring at her back. Raising her free arm, she snapped her fingers.

"Earth to X…You okay?"

Abruptly, his eyes snapped back to focus, and he nodded. She heard him take a deep breath, and then she felt his fingers on the back of her shoulder.

"You know," he said quickly, "the next time we get tattoos, you should get one with some bite. Flowers are _so_ weak."

J.J. raised an eyebrow.

"Well at least mine's real. What tribe is yours from again? I forgot," she quipped as he glared at her. "Oh wait, I remember," she continued, "it's the tribe of 'I saw this in a magazine and I thought it would make me look hard'."

"It does," he fired back, pulling up his t-shirt sleeve and flexing the muscle on his left arm in an attempt to make the tribal band ripple.

J.J. rolled her eyes, waiting for him to finish with her tattoo. She took the tube from him when he was done. He pulled up his sleeve, in turn, so she could apply the ointment to his tattoo. As she carefully rubbed the antiseptic on his arm, she heard him take another deep breath.

Puzzled, she glanced up at his face and saw that he was staring intently into hers.

"J.J., please don't go."

Her eyes narrowed in confusion, then widened in shock when his hands dropped to grasp her hips. She moved to stop him, but then she remembered that her hands were still greasy from the ointment. Holding them up before her, she stared up at Xander in surprise.

"X, come on. What are you doing? We need to wash our hands –"

With a quiet smile, he reached down to grab the corner of the comforter on her bed. After using it to wipe both of their hands clean, he dropped the blanket and reached up to take her wrists, holding tighter when she tried to step away. He tugged at her arms, causing her to lower them. Slowly, he reached up to cradle the back of her head, leaning down until his forehead was touching hers.

"Please," he whispered.

J.J. stepped a little closer so that she could wrap her arms around her friend.

"God, X. You're acting like you're never gonna see me again."

In response, he was silent, but his arms tightened until they were almost crushing her. Then suddenly, the door to J.J.'s room swung open.

"Shit!"

X cursed and jumped a foot backward, but it was only Michael. The older boy quickly threw up his hands, trying not to laugh as he surveyed the very guilty looks on Xander and J.J.'s faces. Backing out of the door the way he came, Michael made his way into the hall, muttering, "I didn't see anything."

As he left, J.J. abruptly fell back, landing on her bed and narrowly missing one of her suitcases. Xander followed, plunking himself down on the bed's edge. After a few tense, silent moments, J.J. stood up. Walking around the bed, she moved to close a suitcase, sitting on the lid to keep it shut.

"Help me close this?" she asked, effectively cutting off any opportunity to discuss what had just happened.

Mutely, he nodded, reaching back to flip the latches closed.

* * *

**Thanksgiving Break - 1990**

"Lucky's Restaurant, how may I help you?" the young waitress asked, popping her gum noisily as she answered the phone."Oh, hey, J.J.!" she smiled after a moment. "Yeah, he's here." Peering into the back of the kitchen, the redhead yelled, "X, phone!"

Xander looked up from his station at the grill, quickly wiping his hands on his apron. Marvin, another of the line cooks, nodded, answering Xander's silent request to look after his food for a couple of minutes.

Before he went to answer the phone, he grabbed the most recently finished order. When he came around the counter, the waitress tossed him the phone and then took the plate from his hand.

"Hey you," he smiled into the phone.

"Hey," J.J. answered warmly. "I just wanted to let you know that about I'm an hour and a half out. Should I just come to you?"

Xander stole a glance at the clock.

"Yeah - I'll still be here, and you know Aunt Luna's always ready to feed you."

"Amen to that," J.J. laughed. "See you soon!"

Xander jogged back to his station, sliding his spatula out from his belt. He nodded his thanks to Marvin, and carefully flipped over a steak. He heard the bell ding as Marvin plunked down a couple of finished orders.

"So," the older cook asked as he turned back to the grill, "tomorrow's the big day, huh?"

Xander thunked his spatula against a counter and groaned.

"Jesus, Aunt Luna! That was private!"

The woman wasn't within earshot, but that did nothing to lessen Xander's frustration. Yes, it was true that after Thanksgiving dinner he planned to finally ask J.J. out, but he certainly did not want everyone in the Lucky's Diner family to know about it.

Xander sighed, wiping off the cooking utensil. He might as well have just put an ad in the paper.

Xander had lost himself in the rhythm and noise of the kitchen, ignoring the ticking hands of the clock. Then suddenly, he heard a familiar order.

"Taco platter - extra avocado, extra lime!"

His head whipped around of its own volition to see a smiling J.J. She'd grabbed her own order slip and ducked back into the kitchen to read it. Ignoring the grease on Xander's apron, J.J. wrapped her arms around him as soon as he was close enough for a hug. Everybody in the kitchen shouted their hellos when they saw who it was.

"God, have I missed you," Xander spoke into J.J.'s ear so she could hear him over the din of the kitchen.

"Me too," was her emphatic and sincere response.

Xander took another look at the clock.

"I'll be out of here by the time you're finished eating. See you in a minute."

J.J. nodded her reply and left the kitchen, practically running into Aunt Luna's waiting arms.

Holding his dirty apron balled up in one hand, Xander climbed into J.J.'s car. She turned the key, cranked up the stereo and then set off for Xander's apartment. After taking a glance at her friend, she said,

"Well that's a first. Aunt Luna didn't ask me why we weren't dating yet. I can't think of even one time that I walked through that door and she didn't ask me."

Xander gulped, grateful that Aunt Luna hadn't spilled the beans, _again_, but worried that J.J. was onto him.

"Maybe she's finally given up on us," he joked to cover his nervousness, then finished, "we should go get another tattoo to celebrate."

"Actually," J.J. said slowly, "I kind of did that already."

Xander gasped in indignation, scanning J.J.'s person and seeing nothing.

"What? Where?"

They rolled to a stop at a red light, and J.J. reached for the neck of her tank top. She pulled it down to reveal two tiger paws just above her breasts. Xander's mouth dropped open.

"Your mom is gonna _kill _you."

"_I'm_ gonna kill you if you tell her!" she quipped, reaching out to smack at him.

Xander dodged her easily, laughing and sticking out his tongue. After a moment of letting her stew, he sighed. When they pulled up to another red light, and he slowly reached for the hem of his t-shirt. He lifted it up to reveal a tattoo that stretched across his toned stomach.

J.J. gaped,"you _didn't_," staring at the Old English writing.

Xander grinned and shrugged.

"It's true what they say. These things are addicting. Hurt like hell, though."

J.J. smirked.

"It serves you right for teasing me."

In response, Xander just rolled his eyes, moving quickly to change the subject.

"So," he drawled, stretching his arms out behind the back of his seat. "I've got the plan for tomorrow." His companion merely raised an eyebrow, so he continued, "my folks are eating around 1. So I figure, we go have Thanksgiving at my parents' house, then we go to yours."

J.J. simply smiled. Like her older brother, Xander was an eating machine.

The time passed quickly until they got Xander's apartment. Once J.J. pulled up, Xander hugged her around her shoulders, jumped out and grabbed his bicycle from the trunk/backseat.

"See you tomorrow?"

"Yeah."

Slowly, Xander paced a path across his parents' backyard, looking anxiously at the box he was holding. He lifted the lid and replaced it a dozen times. Each time he did, the little charm bracelet twinkled up at him.

It had been a bit of an impulse buy, but when Xander had seen the little bracelet in the jewelry store, he'd known it was meant for J.J. It had seemed like a natural step to purchase the 'X' and 'J' letter charms that dangled on either side.

For the tenth time, he stuck the box into his pocket, only to pull it out again. He sighed, rubbing his hand across the top of his shaven scalp.

"Xander!"

He heard his mother call, and when he turned toward the house, she was standing in the entryway of the back door. With a sheepish smile, he ducked his head and pocketed the box, coming forward to see what she needed. She knew why her son was pacing, but did not say so, instead reaching out to give the young man a hug. He willingly accepted the embrace, resting his cheek atop her hair.

Within a few minutes, she had him setting the table with various serving implements, but it did nothing to ease his nervousness. The feeling of his growling stomach was a welcome deterrent from his most recent thoughts, and he stepped into the kitchen to see if he could get a sample of anything his mother was cooking. He promptly received a swat on the bottom.

"Not a chance, Xander Cage."

He sighed, "but, Mom - I'm starving!"

Dottie Cage's eyes were sparkling with mirth, which was mirrored exactly in her son's eyes. She folded her arms, indicating that the conversation was over, and in response, Xander folded his arms and raised an eyebrow.

The standoff might have continued indefinitely had it not been for the doorbell.

"That's J.J.," Xander practically yelped as he took off for the door at a run. When he got there, he was greeted by J.J. and his father, who'd been closer and had already answered the door. They both looked at Xander, shaking their heads and smiling.

"What _are_ you gonna do with him, Mr. Cage?" J.J. smiled.

Reuben Cage scoffed, "oh no. He's _your_ problem now."

J.J. shrugged, laughingly accepting her fate, and stepped into the house. It was a Cage tradition to dress up a bit for holiday dinners, so J.J. had obliged. She wore a dark brown dress trimmed in lace at the hem with flutter sleeves. The young woman was perfectly at ease in dress clothes, unlike Xander, who constantly tugged at the collar of his maroon shirt.

"You look really nice," he managed to say, in between his attempts to adjust his clothes.

She smiled her thanks as she slipped off her shoes and walked into the house.

An hour later, J.J., the Cages and other guests were sitting down to a beautiful Thanksgiving dinner. More Cages and extended family members had arrived in the meantime, particularly a group from Lucky's Diner. It was one of the rare occasions when the restaurant would close, and most of them considered Aunt Luna, her nephew, and his parents to be family.

Despite the restaurant being closed, though, the group had not come empty handed. The restaurant owner/manager had donated a generous amount of food and wine - whether or not he had done so knowingly. Alcohol flowed freely, though not for Xander or for J.J. They were still under age, something Marvin was more than happy to remind them of, repeatedly.

J.J. nudged Xander from her seat beside him. Everyone was talking, eating, and laughing, but he wasn't doing much of any of the three.

"You okay?" she asked, concerned, "you don't look so good."

Xander nodded bleakly. He could hardly tell her that he was so nervous he was about to be sick - at least not in front of his family. Aunt Luna caught his eye. She smiled with encouragement, excitement, and just a touch of sympathy.

"You know," Xander suggested after a moment, "maybe I just need some air. Want to come outside with me?"

A brief silence came over the group as the two asked to be excused, left the table and went out the door. Once the door was shut, the group was abuzz. Whether or not Xander had told them personally, everyone knew what was about to transpire. Across the table, Luna shared a knowing glance with her sister-in-law.

"What's up with you X?" J.J. asked once they were outside.

"You know, if you're not feeling well, maybe you should just stay here. My folks will understand," she said from her place on the porch swing.

Xander shook his head almost violently.

"I'm not sick. I just - well, I wanted to talk to you."

J.J. frowned.

"Hmm. I kind of need to talk to you too, actually."

Xander felt his heart jump a little in his chest.

"Okay," he said slowly, coming to sit down beside her, "you first."

J.J. shakily ran a hand through her hair, then needlessly scrubbed her hands up and down her lap. Xander finally had to take hold of one of her wrists to snap her out of it. His brow furrowed inquisitively as he thought of the box in his pocket.

"Hey," Xander spoke quietly. "Whatever it is, it's not the end of the world."

He sat back in shock when he heard what sounded like a tearful sigh.

"You promise?" she practically whispered.

He nodded emphatically, curious beyond measure.

When she realized she was crying, J.J. quickly sat up, brusquely wiping her eyes, and tried to cover it up with a laugh.

"Boy - I don't know what got into me just now. Anyway," she finally began. "I have to talk to you - it's kind of about us."

Now his heart was pounding. He took a faltering breath.

"Okay..."

J.J. took a deep breath, trying to gauge Xander's reaction before she spoke.

"I - I - I'm seeing somebody. We're about 6 months in," she said at last, all of the words running together.

He'd been completely wrong. It _was_ the end of the world.

As she continued to speak, he just sat there staring, wondering how to tell her that he wasn't hearing a word she was saying. He'd all but forgotten she was with him, but then he felt her rubbing his back.

"X," she continued hesitantly. "He's coming for Thanksgiving dinner - he's driving down to my house."

Involuntarily, Xander felt the hand in his pocket ball into a fist. The gift box's velvet felt almost harsh as it rubbed against his palm. Abruptly, he released the present and pulled his hand out into the open.

"I don't like him," he said darkly, folding his arms against his chest.

J.J. leaned her head back against the seat cushion.

"You haven't even met him!"

"Doesn't matter."

J.J. sighed, covering her face with both hands and rubbing her temples briefly. They sat in silence for several long moments, then J.J. said, "well, I guess I'll just go on home. I know I should have told you sooner but I knew you'd freak out and I wasn't ready to deal with that."

Xander's brows raised of their own volition.

"Freak out? Who's freaking out? Me being pissed that you waited 'til _the last second _to tell me something this important doesn't mean I'm freaking out. Now let's go."

Now it was J.J.'s turn to be surprised.

"You're coming with me?"

"Hell yeah," Xander laughed. "I wouldn't miss this for the world. Me and Michael are going to have a _great_ time with this dude."

J.J. tried to laugh back, but the giggle sounded more nervous than merry. Xander guided her into the house before him, using the precious seconds to mask the hurt on his face. Still, anyone who knew Xander, and knew what was supposed to have happened - everyone, basically - knew that something was wrong. Aunt Luna frowned as he and J.J. walked back through the kitchen, but Xander just shook his head.

"X! Michael! Come back in the house," J.J. yelled as she stuck her head out of one of the front windows. "You look like the freaking firing squad."

Both Xander and her brother were standing on either side of the front door, arms folded and staring down the road. They ignored her entirely. Mrs. James briefly joined her daughter at the window, shrugging and smiling quietly when J.J. gestured for her to do something.

"I'd be doing the same thing if I wasn't cooking," she laughed as she smoothed her hands down her apron and walked back to the kitchen.

J.J. scoffed dramatically, flopping down on the couch and cutting her eyes at her 'protectors.'

A few more minutes passed, then they saw a medium blue Taurus coming down the road, driving not a mile over the speed limit.

"Looks like a wimp's car," Xander called in to J.J. "He drives it like a wimp too!"

J.J. rushed outside, unceremoniously shoving Michael and Xander both into the house. Amidst the sounds of their laughter, she pulled the front door closed with a resounding slam and stepped down into the driveway. A young man with a medium build and a healthy tan stepped out of the car.

He wrapped his arms around J.J., giving her a quick kiss. Briefly, he scoped out the front of the house expecting to see her parents, but all he saw were Xander and Michael. Banished from the front porch, the two had immediately taken up sentry at the window. They glared accordingly.

"They must be Michael and Xander," Aaron sighed, sizing up the gatekeepers as best he could.

"They're harmless, baby," J.J. quickly replied, then finished, "or they will be if they value their lives."

That garnered a big smile from Aaron, and he looped an arm around her waist as they went inside.

It was perfect. It was all just fucking perfect. They were sitting around a perfect table, eating a perfect meal, and listening to a perfect story from J.J.'s perfect boyfriend.

Under the table, Xander squeezed the sides of his chair until he felt his arms cramping up. A permanent frown line appeared to be fixed between his eyes, and he nearly ground his teeth as he listened to Aaron talk. The list was endless: Golden Key Honor Society, Student Council, President's List, community service, flawless table manners – the James family hanging on his every word.

And the worst part: J.J. couldn't keep her eyes off of him.

As the family broke into laughter yet again at whatever Aaron was saying, Xander finally had to excuse himself. Quickly, he walked onto the porch and took a seat on the front steps. He sighed angrily, pulling out the box once again to look at J.J.'s bracelet.

"What's that?"

At the sound of J.J.'s voice, Xander dropped the box in surprise. He hadn't even heard the front door open. As he scrambled to stow the gift box away, J.J. stepped down and sat next to him.

"X, come on. You've been acting weird all day. What is it?" She reached out and began to rub his back. When she felt him tense, she jumped to her feet, aghast. "That's it! You'd better break with me, Xander Cage – right – now. What the fuck is up?"

Xander mirrored her response, leaping to his feet as well. At first, he spoke quietly, but his volume grew with every word.

"What's up? You wanna know what's up? _This _is what the fuck is up!"

J.J. had an abrupt flashback to summer of last year as Xander cupped her face in his hands and kissed her. When he pulled away, she found herself unable to move or speak, but Xander had barely gotten started.

"I don't know what you think you're doing with that _jackass_ in there, but you're supposed to be _my girl_! You're the _only_ person we know who hasn't figured that out!"

As J.J. continued to stand there, speechless, Xander just sighed, rubbing a hand across his scalp. They weren't alone though, as Xander's yelling had brought the James family – and Aaron – to the front door. Aaron was the first to step out. He'd seen more than enough, and J.J. saw his tanned face take on a red tinge.

"What do you think you're doing?" Aaron addressed Xander, his eyes wide and angry.

Rapidly, Xander looked between J.J., who was still silent, Aaron, who was obviously irate, and J.J.'s family, who was simply shocked. His gaze narrowed, flitting just between Aaron and J.J., and before his brain could make a rational decision, his body reached out and his fist connected solidly with Aaron's nose. A spurt of blood came flying out, but Aaron didn't go down. Instead, he came flying at Xander, and the only thing that stopped him was J.J.'s dad grabbing the younger man in a bear hug and pulling him backward. Michael had reacted as well, rushing forward to grab Xander, who was still swinging. Both combatants were a flurry of arms, legs and loud cursing as they tried to break free. Michael pulled Xander down into the driveway and as Mr. James pulled Aaron back into the house, J.J.'s mother followed. She soon reappeared, holding her car keys.

"Michael, get him out here of here before somebody calls the police!"

She tossed her son the keys, and Michael awkwardly caught them in one hand.

"God, X – you don't fucking think!" Michael gruffly reprimanded Xander as he dragged him to the car. With each step, a little of the fury left the younger man, and he became a lot more compliant. He was walking of his own volition by the time they reached Mrs. James's vehicle. Michael unlocked the doors, and as Xander opened his, he saw J.J. come slowly down the porch stairs until she was standing in the driveway. Shaking her head slowly, she raised her arm and pointed at Xander. Her face contorted as if she were about to give him the tongue-lashing of his life, but then suddenly, her arm dropped.

For a moment, she stared in Xander's direction, but then, with a sigh, she turned her back and walked into the house, closing the door quietly behind her.

* * *

**May 1991**

"Hello – this message is for Jeanette James. You've just won $1000 in our monthly sweepstakes…Ok, actually it's just me – just kidding around. Thought maybe I could trick you into picking up…I guess not. Well, call me back – please? The number hasn't changed. Bye."

With a despondent sigh, Xander hung up the phone. It had been 6 months, but J.J. was still refusing to take his calls. Christmas, New Years and Spring Break had passed. He knew that J.J. had been home several times. She'd even paid Aunt Luna a visit, but he hadn't seen or heard from her. Still, there were a couple of positives: he'd gotten to know J.J.'s roommate, Kim, pretty well, as these days, Xander either spoke to her or the answering machine. She'd informed him that Aaron had dumped J.J. as soon as they'd come back from Thanksgiving and that she was currently still single.

Xander allowed himself a smile at that thought, but then promptly chastised himself. All of this, J.J.'s unhappiness and the fact that she wouldn't talk to him was _his_ fault. 6 months had passed, and he still hadn't figured out a way to make it up to her. He'd have to work fast. He needed his best friend back, especially now. For the hundredth time, he went to his desk and pulled out the charm bracelet he'd bought last year. He'd wanted to send it to her, but he was worried she'd just send it back.

Xander paused, then left his bedroom and walked out to the storage closet in the hall. He came back with a pair of needle-nosed pliers. Taking the bracelet out of its box, he gently pried off the "X" and "J" charms, leaving the delicate silver links of the bracelet intact. Once he found a box suitable for packaging, he sealed the bracelet inside, and picked up the phone once more. As it had done the first time, J.J. and Kim's answering machine came on once again. He waited for the beep, then took a deep breath before leaving his message.

"Hi, J.J. It's me again – big surprise there, but whatever. Um, look - I'm not calling to try and apologize anymore. I just wanted to tell you that I'm up for this competition – it's this new extreme sports label and the winner gets $20,000 and the chance to ride in some commercials. Tony Hawk's even gonna perform. I…I know I don't deserve it, and you don't ever have to forgive me, but I could really use my best friend right now."

After leaving the date and the location of the competition, he hung up the phone and grabbed a marker out of his desk. He wrote J.J.'s address in bold lettering across the package, and after a lengthy pause, wrote down the return address as well.

"And our first runner up…our second place winner is…Xander Cage!"

The crowd roared its approval as Xander doffed his helmet and stepped up to the stage to receive his prize. He smiled for the cameras and waved to the people in the stands, particularly his family, who was cheering ecstatically, but inside, he was heartsick.

J.J. was nowhere among them – and it had completely screwed his game.

Once the first place winner was pronounced, he, Xander and the third place winner were herded together for congratulations and photographs. After some time, the media and the crowd were through with them, and Xander's family was permitted to collect their boy, who was a champion as far as they were concerned.

"Well, let's head on over to the restaurant. I know everyone is anxious to see that trophy," Aunt Luna suggested as the family assembled.

Xander held his trophy with one arm, and rubbed his sweaty face across his other sleeve.

"I think I need to stop by home first. I've gotta get clean."

That was met with no protest, and he promised to have the trophy in tow when he met them at Lucky's.

Xander drove home quietly. He left the radio off – his own thoughts were noisy enough. As he drove up to his apartment complex, though, all of those thoughts were suddenly silenced. On the bench in front of the building, a young woman sat looking out toward the parking lot.

He squinted as he parked – the woman was blonde, but she looked just like J.J. As he got out of his car and she rose to meet him, he knew it was her. Once he'd disembarked, he grabbed the trophy as an afterthought and walked over to her. She eyed the cup wryly.

"Guess you didn't need me after all," she said quietly.

Xander frowned, "It's second place. Would've been first if you were there."

"Well, you can't always get what you want," the woman said, and her expression clearly showed that she had no plans to take the blame for that.

In the awkward silence, Xander gestured to J.J.'s new hairdo.

"You're blonde."

That garnered a smile, but then J.J. grew more serious.

"I wanted a change. Things change sometimes, you know, and even though you might not like it, you have to learn how to deal with it – like an _adult_."

Xander knew that comment was about a lot more than hair, and he hung his head accordingly.

"I know. I'm a jackass. Can we just forget it happened?"

His friend folded her arms.

"No we can't," she said, but then finished, "but I can forgive you."

Smiling radiantly, he set down the trophy so he could give J.J. a hug. She returned the embrace, but was careful to add,"this once. Pull another stunt like that and it's your ass. And thank you for the bracelet, by the way. Your manners might suck, but you've got good taste."

Xander just smiled and shrugged as he reached down for his trophy cup. As the two of them walked toward his apartment, he threw an arm around her slim shoulders.

"Of course I've got good taste. I picked you didn't I?" The younger man quipped.

J.J. scoffed in response, grabbing his trophy away from him.

"This is mine now. It's my award for putting up with you."

Xander looked a bit apprehensive, but he relaxed completely when he saw her smile.

THE END


	6. Girl Friend

**AN**: These stories are connected by the fact that they are vignettes from Xander and J.J.'s past. They can be read in any order you choose. This piece was inspired by the song "Girlfriend" by Alicia Keys. Read Lyrics [url= /Girlfriend-lyrics-Alicia-Keys/]here.[/url]

**Disclaimer**: Xander and J.J. belong to Columbia and Tristar, etc. Hopefully no one cares that I'm using them. Same goes for any of the brands or companies mentioned in the story. I have no affiliation with any of them and I'm not making any profit, yada, yada, yada…

**Summary**: 1998 – Xander breaks his leg and has to spend three months in a cast. He meets a girl while convalescing and a relationship blooms. Will he be able to find the balance between his romantic relationship and the relationship he shares with J.J.?

* * *

**"Girl Friend"**

_I think I'm jealous of your girl friend – although she's just a girl that is your friend. _

_I think I'm jealous of your girl friend – she shares a special part of you…_

Most days, the parking lot was peaceful, even quiet, though occasionally the silence was broken by a passing car. The few residents occupying those lofts built into the mini-industrial area was unusually insulated from the sounds of L.A. traffic.

While in the night, the meatpacking district came alive as clubs opened and partygoers appeared, during the day, there was little to hear. Well – there was little to hear if Xander Cage wasn't in the area, and today, he was.

The chaos and tumult seemed to follow the extreme sports enthusiast, whether it was the roar of his motorcycle, the blaring of his music, or the keening of wheels on rails, on pavement, on gravel, on sidewalk, on ramps, and anywhere else that Xander's followers chose to ride their bikes and boards when they were paying the man a visit. And they rarely, make that never, came alone.

One could depend on Xander's admirers to be exceedingly disorderly, but there was one person who could quell the fracas with a well-placed look or a word: Xander's best friend and manager, J.J. – unless she was angry. If that was the case, the storm simply doubled in power and intensity. Unfortunately, at this particular moment, J.J. was _royally_ pissed.

As the young woman's black Capris rolled into the parking lot behind Xander's loft, any bystander could have heard the sound of her and Xander arguing, even though all of the car's windows were closed. The little car screeched into a parking space, and as J.J. came storming out, the subject of the argument became as apparent as the volume.

"All I have to say, is when the kids come to me asking why we didn't get the grant, I'll tell them they can thank Xander _fucking_ Cage!" the vibrant blonde nearly screamed as she stomped up the ramp, fishing her set of keys from her purse, "Xander Cage and his temper!"

Not to be outdone, Xander followed her from the car, planting his hands on the railing and vaulting himself onto the ramp.

"You _should_ thank me! I don't care what company he's from – nobody treats you like that in front of me! That slime ball had his hands all over you!"

J.J. was already in the lift, preparing to yank down the door, but Xander ducked inside before she could shut him out. She glared at him.

"I can take a few misplaced hands for a good cause. That 'slime ball' was ready to donate $50,000 worth of new equipment! You know their gym is strapped for resources!"

The slime ball in question was a representative from Nike, one that J.J. had nearly convinced to donate a hefty amount to their local Boys and Girls club. The grant would have covered everything from rollerblades to football pads and dodge balls. Yes, the man was a bit too 'touchy,' but J.J. could have easily survived it for the one hour tour of the Boys and Girls Club's current facility.

Near the end of the tour, however, Xander had ruined _everything_ by asking if he too had to let the executive 'feel him up' in order for the community center to get the donation. J.J. had barely been able to salvage the moment by sending Xander to wait in the car, but only time would tell if she'd be able to salvage the grant.

"He was harmless," J.J. continued, "you'd better pray I can fix this mess."

As they stepped into Xander's home, the athlete mumbled,

"I told you that skirt was too short."

"I _know_ you're not still talking to me," J.J. called back as she grabbed her overnight bag and walked back to Xander's bedroom to change clothes.

"and do _not_ touch Hoff's cookies," she yelled a moment later.

"God, does she see through walls?" Xander groaned around a mouthful of peanut butter cookie, guiltily setting down the tin of cookies J.J. had baked. The two had been invited to a birthday party for Matt Hoffman, Xander's friend and fellow sportsman, though he was known for his skill on a bicycle, rather than a motorbike.

The performer had specifically requested the cookies for his birthday gift, and J.J. had happily complied. Xander frowned, downing the rest of the stolen cookie.

"Why don't you ever make me cookies anymore?" he pouted.

"Because you're an ass," J.J. countered as she came walking back into the kitchen. Xander did a double-take when she came in. Then he scowled. J.J. wore a peacock-green tank top with a cowl neckline that plunged much further than he liked.

Her heels clicked loudly as J.J. walked to the freezer and grabbed the bottle of Vodka that she'd purchased to take to the party. Wordlessly, she packed the bottle and the cookies into a gift bag, then she grabbed her helmet and jacket from one of the shelves in Xander's living room.

A meeker man would have let the argument die out with that, but Xander could hardly be described as meek. Grabbing his own helmet, he gave his friend a once-over. As they shrugged on their jackets, he sniped,

"Is Matt gettin' some cookies I don't know about?"

J.J. stopped mid-step, yanking off her jacket and tossing it over the back of the couch.

"Son of a bitch - I'm not riding _anywhere_ with you," she growled through clenched teeth, stomping over to Xander and shoving her helmet into his already-full hands.

As Xander scrambled not to drop the helmet, J.J. grabbed Matt's gift bag and breezed out of the room. The lift door slammed closed, and Xander let loose a string of profanity, carefully reshelving J.J.'s helmet despite his anger. He clapped his own helmet onto his head, palming his keys and tapping his foot angrily as he waited for J.J. to send the lift back up.

It came with excruciating slowness, and he rushed inside, pacing the small space as the lift descended. Once he stepped out, he raced to lock the door behind him. J.J. was just getting into her car, and he felt the rash desire to beat her to their destination. He jogged over to his bike, which was waiting for him on the ramp. J.J. glanced up, sighing when she saw his hurry.

The engine roared to life, screaming as Xander flew down the ramp. J.J. did not alter her speed in the slightest. Carefully setting the bag between her driver and passenger seats, she watched as Xander raced out of the parking lot, white smoke billowing up from his back tire. Shaking her head, J.J. ducked to get inside her Capris.

As she was reaching toward the ignition, she started, dropping her keys at the loud sound of a grinding screech. A split second later, she heard a metal-on-metal squeal and the distinct, unmistakable sound of a crash. Keys forgotten, J.J. leapt out of her vehicle, leaving the door open, stumbling over her high heels as she rushed through the alley to the edge of the parking lot.

You could see a small stretch of the road from the alley, but the major intersection was obscured by another building. J.J. gasped as she ran, following the burn marks Xander had left in the alley, sprinting to get past that building so she could see -

The road was littered with hunks of red plastic and glass. Across the street, the back end of a blue sedan was nearly wrapped around a light post. The driver, apparently unhurt, had climbed out. He stood there, staring dazedly at the street.

Pulse pounding in her ears, J.J. turned quickly, following the driver's gaze.

"Oh my god –"

A crowd had gathered in the road, obscuring her view, but what she could discern was enough to make her heart leap into her throat. Just in front of the sedan lay a red and black heap of twisted metal and rubber that, possibly, in another life, could have been a motorcycle.

She tried to will herself forward, but her feet felt glued to the road. Mere seconds passed, but it felt like an eternity before she was finally able to move. Kicking off the cumbersome heels, J.J. carelessly ran, barefoot, across the asphalt and glass to push her way into the crowd.

She broke through the circle of people, and a moan was ripped from her chest. The sound was so anguished it sounded more animal then human. She could see it all now. The crowd that had gathered in the street was huddled around a prone body dressed in dark rinse blue jeans and a black motocross jacket.

J.J. eyes flitted back and forth erratically, assessing the damage as she crawled forward on her hands and knees.

"X!"

She reached out to lay her hand on his chest, anything to let him know she was there.

"Hey, don't move him. This break is really bad and we don't know where else he's hurt."

J.J. glanced up confusedly at the stranger, turning to look where he indicated. She felt her throat close up. She was staring at Xander's thigh, the bone in Xander's thigh, actually. A jagged end was protruding up through a hole ripped in the man's jeans. Someone had tied a rag or a shirt around his upper thigh to stop the bleeding. Thankfully, Xander's helmet was mostly intact, though the face shield was badly cracked.

J.J. inched forward after she'd gained back some composure. His eyelids were fluttering, but Xander was conscious, and his eyes opened fully when he saw her. J.J. could have cried from relief.

"X, I'm here," she managed to choke out, "I'm so sorry. This is all my fault."

He mumbled something back in response, and J.J. tried to quiet him.

"Honey, don't try to talk. Save your strength," she whispered, but he kept repeating the phrase.

When J.J. leaned down to the crack in Xander's helmet, she finally heard him.

"Thank God you didn't ride with me."

The young woman's shoulders were shaking now as she tried to hold back her tears. J.J. said nothing, blindly reaching down to squeeze his hand. She exhaled a huge sigh of relief when Xander was able to squeeze her hand back, and another as she saw the ambulance arrive.

* * *

"Twelve freakin' weeks! I'm going to miss the exhibition. Everyone was counting on me!" Xander whined as J.J. wheeled him into his loft. His lap was full of flowers and other get-well gifts he'd received from family and friends.

J.J. sighed, grunting with exertion as she pushed the wheelchair and tried not to drop the bag she carried on each shoulder, in addition to keeping hold of the crutches awkwardly clenched beneath her arm, as well as the kit the hospital had given them to help take care of Xander while he healed.

After two hours of surgery to repair the open fracture of his femur, they'd had to cast Xander's entire right leg. The man had also broken a rib, and he had extensive road rash across his upper back, and lesser bruising in many other places.

Aside from the cast, Xander's torso was almost entirely wrapped in bandages. If he hadn't been hurting so badly, he might have found the situation funny. As it was, the man was in too much pain to be aware of anything else.

"I think the kids will understand why you can't perform – and Matt's going to do his best in your place. Just be happy that Nike still came through with the money. We can still go to the exhibition if you're up to it by then."

"I guess," Xander sighed dramatically.

The sigh turned into a groan as J.J. helped him inch out of the wheelchair and scoot over until he was lying in bed. Xander cursed softly, air hissing through his teeth as the pain hit again.

"Enough," J.J. said, leaving his bedroom and returning with a glass of water and two pills. She held them out to him.

"Take the damn Vicodin."

Xander shook his head, eyes glazed in pain as J.J. adjusted the pillows under his broken leg.

"They make me feel funny. I don't like it," he said resolutely, but he quickly wilted under J.J.'s glare.

"You're folks will be here soon," J.J. told him as he gulped down the medication, "Aunt Luna's gonna make spaghetti."

Xander begrudged her a small smile.

"Spaghetti and Vicodin – breakfast of champions."

* * *

"Duke Nukem! Yes! Thank you, J.J.," Xander grinned, and then grimaced as he carefully hobbled over to his television.

Placing his weight on one crutch, he leaned forward to stick the videogame cartridge into the console. J.J. shook her head indulgently, hunting through Xander's fridge for the macaroni salad she'd made the other day.

"I've rented it for you three times now. Maybe you should just buy it."

She grabbed a packet of crackers as Xander slowly made his way back to the couch. Eagerly he grabbed the gun-shaped video controller.

"I swear," J.J. mumbled to herself, "he has the latest gaming system and all he wants to do is play the Nintendo."

Grabbing some plates, a spoon and two juices from the fridge, she walked into Xander's common room. She frowned when she saw the morose expression on her friend's face.

"What?" she finally asked.

"I forgot to plug it in."

J.J. shrugged, barely keeping the smirk off of her face.

"And this affects me how?"

Xander sighed,

"J.J. please? I can't make the trip again!" the man begged, pitifully reaching toward the television with his grabbing tool. It was nowhere near long enough to reach the screen.

When J.J. didn't move, he found a better use for the tool, turning to start poking her in the arm.

"Ugh! Fine."

Carefully shifting the food out of her arms and onto the table, J.J. walked over the television and turned on the Nintendo. In the meantime, Xander had helped himself to the food, and he mumbled a 'thank you' through a full mouth.

Gleefully, he yelled at the screen, nearly unseating himself as he got into the game. His body quickly protested the movement, and a hand went his right side as he winced.

J.J just smiled and shook her head, eating in silence as she watched his adolescent antics. When she finished, she cleared the dishes, then walked back into Xander's bedroom. She returned with a T-shirt, tossing it at Xander.

"Put that on," she said, glancing at the clock.

Xander paused the game and did as he was told. The T-shirt went on easily now that he'd been able to downgrade from ace bandages, gauze and ice packs to adhesive tape and Band-Aids for his injured chest and back. He glanced quizzically towards the door.

"We expecting somebody?" he joked.

J.J.'s only answer was a sly smile. After she checked his pillows again, she plopped down beside him. Another few moments passed, and then they heard the sound of the doorbell.

"Oh good, they're here," J.J. laughed, bounding over to the window.

After verifying who was at the door, she buzzed the group in.

"Who's here?" Xander asked, trepidation evident in his voice. He twisted around as much as he could to see.

"This place is in need of a good dusting. And you're welcome," J.J. said cryptically.

Xander took a deep breath. Whatever came through that door couldn't be nearly as humiliating as when his mother had come to help him take a sponge bath those first couple of weeks after his injuries.

He'd thought he was prepared, but when the trio of scantily clad women came walking into his loft he stopped breathing for a good seven seconds. When he was finally able to inhale, the stitch in his rib was so bad his eyes welled up.

Once he'd regained his faculties, he found himself even more confused. The girls were wearing tank tops and leather daisy dukes, but they were armed with buckets, feather dusters, and rags.

Thankfully, J.J. saw fit to explain what was happening.

"X, these young ladies are from the Sexy Kitten Cleaning Service. They're gonna be taking over 'cause I am through cleaning up after your ass."

The three girls giggled at her words, but nodded their assent.

"Ladies, the place is all yours. I'll be outside," J.J. grinned as she headed for the door.

"J," Xander called after her, a little panic in his voice, "you're just gonna leave me here?"

"No, silly," J.J. said, taking a peek out of the window, "they have guys too," she finished with a conspiratory grin, " I got a couple to wash my car – and your new bike. See you in a few!"

J.J. stepped into the elevator, accompanied by Xander's loud protests about how she'd better not let any shirtless 'himbos' touch his bike.

A tinkling laugh caught Xander's attention, and he turned back toward his television, One of the 'maids' was standing in his living room, preparing to wash the windows. She was brunette, hair pressed shiny and straight to fall just below her shoulders. Xander couldn't tell if her tan was natural or synthetic, but it made her eyes look impossibly green. She blushed a little when he looked at her, and the display of shyness, considering the outfit, made him laugh too.

He coughed, trying to do something to break the tension in the room.

"So," he said, idly drumming his fingers on his cast, "I hope things aren't too messy around here."

The young woman just shrugged.

"You have a good excuse," she answered quietly.

They didn't say anything else for a while. They stood and sat, respectively, avoiding each others' eyes like a couple of highschoolers. Eventually, the woman turned and picked up a cloth out of her bucket, and Xander gave a tiny sigh of appreciation as she moved. When she turned toward the sound, he quickly busied himself with his video game.

After a few tense moments, he asked,

"So…"

"Candice," the young woman answered once she'd figured out why he paused.

"Candice, that's a pretty name. There a big demand for this kind of thing?"

She smiled – she had really white teeth, Xander thought.

"Yeah, actually – it pays the bills, and they're really flexible about letting me go on auditions and stuff."

"Ah - an actress," Xander smiled, mostly to himself. In L.A., that was hardly surprising.

Since he'd been convalescing, Xander really hadn't been around any women, except for J.J., but apparently it was just like riding a bike. He soon found himself engaged in easy, flirtatious conversation.

"You're really lucky," Candice said after a moment, biting her lip, "most guys can only dream about having a girlfriend this open-minded."

Xander grinned widely.

"J's not my girlfriend. She's my manager, but yeah, she is pretty great."

As if to punctuate Xander's statement, they heard J.J.'s laugh from out in the parking lot.

"So you guys never –"

"Nope," Xander shook his head, "she's into assholes in Argyle."

They shared a laugh.

"Hmm," Candice replied, batting her eyelashes a couple of times, "and what are you into?"

Xander stretched his arms, interlocking his fingers behind his head, ignoring the protest from his diaphragm and his obliques.

"I like my women a little more…edgy. You know, someone who's not afraid to get into a little trouble with me."

"Looks like trouble kicked your ass the last time you found it," the young woman retorted, gesturing to his injuries.

Now Xander was blushing.

"I guess I walked right into that one."

Candice's co-workers occasionally passed through the room, speaking to Xander in passing, but she spent the entire time in the same place, carefully washing each of the room's many windows. The injured athlete was glad for the company, and even gladder about the eye candy.

As their time began to wind down, she told him,

"My little brother was so psyched that I was coming here. He's a huge fan…he's really bummed that you're hurt."

Xander nodded appreciatively.

"Well, thank him for me."

After a lengthy pause, she finally concluded,

"It's really inappropriate for me to do this…but is there any chance that I could get your autograph for him? He'd be so stoked."

Xander nodded, grabbing a notepad and a marker off the table. As he scribbled his signature, he replied,

"And I'm probably not supposed to be asking for your number, but I'm doing it anyway."

She blushed nearly scarlet, but she knelt down to accept the notepad and the marker from his hand. She pulled off the first page, tucking the autograph into her pocket, but instead of writing on the notepad, she pulled off the marker cap and instead, scrawled her phone number across his cast, up near his hip.

Xander leaned back abruptly to give her room, and he took an audible breath when she leaned down and pressed her lips to the plaster, leaving a lipstick mark behind.

As the group packed up to leave, J.J. finally made her way back into the apartment. She waved goodbye to the girls, shutting the lift behind them as they left. She took one more look out the window, whistling through her teeth.

"Yeah, I'll definitely be inviting them back. They were just…delightful."

She sat on the couch, contentedly stretching and leaning back with a smile. When she saw the new addition to Xander's cast, her eyes widened.

"Do I even want to know what went on in here?"

"Nothing like that – yet," Xander replied with his own shit-eating grin.

"Shoot, she must really like you if she's gonna wait around for another 6 weeks."

"Ha – there's plenty I can do with one leg."

J.J. quickly covered her ears.

"Jesus, X. Please – I don't wanna know!"

Xander gave a loud snort of laughter.

"Get your mind out of the gutter. I meant things like inviting her to the bonfire with us this weekend."

J.J. looked skeptical.

"Sure you did."

* * *

"God, it's like a bad eighth grade dance," J.J. fumed from behind the wheel of her Capri.

"Hey, I'm not in love with the idea either," Xander retorted, folding his arms.

He shifted, uncomfortably stuffed into the back seat of J.J.'s car, his casted leg nearly sticking out of the window.

"Why didn't you just tell her to meet us there?" J.J. continued as she made the turn into Candice's apartment complex.

" I was worried she wouldn't be able to find us."

J.J. laughed abruptly,

"Not be able to find us? How about 'look for the group standing next to the giant bonfire'? I think she could have figured it out. And I'm letting you know now, I'm not playing third wheel tonight. The second we get there I am _gone_."

Xander just sighed, looking out the window until he spotted Candice's building.

"There it is," he said expectantly.

His companion rolled to a stop and stared through her windshield as Xander dialed his phone. He heard her mumble something about needing a drink, but he ignored it.

His date soon emerged from her apartment building. She was all smiles, dressed in a red denim skirt and a checkered t-shirt with cap sleeves. She stopped short as she reached J.J.'s car, peering through the side window, glancing between the two passengers. J.J. exhaled loudly, leaning over toward the passenger side door and beckoning Candice inside.

"Yeah, you've got the right car."

Slowly, Candice climbed into the passenger seat, but she broke into a smile when she locked eyes with Xander. He grinned as J.J. drove out onto the main road.

"I'm not exactly in driving shape right now. Sorry about that."

"Oh, it's okay," Candice quickly replied, though she glanced furtively at J.J., "I brought a six pack. I hope you like Heineken."

J.J. said nothing, biting her lip, leaving Xander to do the dirty work.

"Um…that's really sweet of you, but I'm kind of not supposed to be drinking right now. It's bad for healing - Dr.'s orders."

"Oh. Well, I guess us girls will have to drink them," she said, smiling tentatively at Xander's friend.

"I can't," J.J. responded, matter-of-factly, "driving."

The girl looked absolutely crestfallen, as she nodded and stowed the beer under her seat. With a soft sigh, she turned to stare silently out of her window.

"Hey, don't worry about it," Xander said, trying to salvage the moment, "There'll be plenty of people at the bonfire who'll be more than happy to help you drink that."

Candice just nodded, continuing to stare at the passing scenery. J.J. glanced up into her rearview mirror, shrugging when she caught Xander's eye.

The rest of the drive was filled with bits of small talk and long silences, but once they arrived at the beach, the mood eased noticeably. It was hard not to feel festive at the sight of the bonfire and the raucous group of people standing nearby.

"Candice, right?" J.J. asked. When the girl nodded, she finished, "do me a favor and grab Xander's wheelchair out of the trunk."

Candice did as she was asked, wheeling the chair forward as J.J. was helping Xander to scoot out of the side door of her car. The younger woman hurried forward to help, but J.J. said,

"Just hold the chair for me, okay?"

Soon, Xander was seated comfortably, and Candice leaned into the car to grab the beer as J.J. pulled a small cooler out of the trunk.

"Hold your Sobes and I'll push," she commented to Xander, handing him the cooler as Candice walked quietly beside them.

The trio was greeted with a loud cheer once they made it onto the beach. Xander waved like a conquering hero and J.J. just grinned. Candice jogged through the sand, sticking the beers into a metal tub of ice sitting off to the side. She grabbed one for herself, then stood back while J.J. and Xander were surrounded by their friends.

After a moment, everyone went back to the party, and she was able to find her way back to Xander.

"Well, I'll catch up with you guys later," J.J. smiled, trying to make her exit.

"J," Xander said quickly, "make me a kebab before you go?"

"Um, I'm sure Candice would be happy to take care of you," J.J. answered, tilting her head to the side.

Xander frowned.

"She doesn't know that I like," he whined.

J.J.'s eyes widened, as she cast an apologetic look at Xander's date.

"Okay…Candice, come with me. I'll show you what to get."

The girl nodded mutely, and J.J. felt humiliated and embarrassed by proxy.

She cast a scathing glare over her shoulder, mouthing, a silent 'stop it!' to her friend, who had apparently left his manners at home.

The two girls walked through the sand, heading toward the food table.

"I'm so, so sorry," J.J. felt the need to say, "I really don't know what's gotten into him. He's usually not like that. Well not to that degree… "

Candice nodded in understanding, brightening a little at J.J.'s soothing words. She stuck her hands into her pockets.

"It's cool. You guys go way back, huh?"

J.J. to laugh.

"Yeah. High school."

They moved down the line, J.J. pointing to various foods and Candice threading them onto a skewer.

"It was ninth grade. One of his buddies pinched my ass in the hall and I thought it was X. I turned around and punched him in the nose. Oh, no red meat 'til he's healed," J.J. said, pointing to the chicken instead.

Candice added the chicken and J.J. continued,

"I made him bleed, but when he went to the nurse, he didn't rat me out. He told her he fell off his skateboard."

The girls handed off their kebabs and stood waiting by the grill while the food cooked.

"We've been friends ever since. The company just kind of happened naturally."

Candice bit her lip, silently counting on her fingers.

"That's more than ten years."

J.J. gave a theatrical sigh.

"Don't remind me!"

The younger woman toed the ground, and J.J. shot her a knowing look.

"Go ahead," she coached the girl, "just ask me."

"Well…it's weird to see guys and girls who are that close and they never, well – "

"went out?" J.J. finished, saving the girl from having to finish the sentence.

She nodded gratefully.

"Well, look at it this way, Candice. X and I have been friends _forever_. If we wanted to be more than that, we've had a million chances to do it, thirteen years worth. Yeah, we're a big part of each other's lives, but you don't have anything to worry about, other than X's bad habits."

Candice giggled at the last bit, looking up through her thick lashes, and J.J. commented,

"That's a really different look, with the eye shadow and all - not that I expected you to show up in your uniform," she finished with a smile.

The girl smiled back, shyly.

"Well, Xander said he liked edgy girls."

"Ah – the 'edgy' speech. Look, if this isn't you," she continued, indicating the girl's clothing and makeup choice, "then don't worry about it. What Xander really wants is a girl who's confident, so just be yourself. And call him 'X' by the way – that's what all of his friends do."

"Okay."

When their food was done, J.J. handed the plate to Candice, motioning for her to head back to Xander.

"He's the one who needs to prove himself, not you," J.J finished, "and if he misbehaves you have my permission to whack him upside the head. He doesn't use it much, anyway."

Duly encouraged, the girl walked off, plates in hand. J.J. watched her carefully until she got back to Xander. She saw the athlete look around for her briefly, and when he spotted her, J.J. gave him a quick 'farewell' wave. He waved back, then he focused on his date.

J.J. took a quick bite of her food, laughing to herself.

"He's your problem now," she said gleefully, a slight skip in her step as she went off to socialize.

* * *

"You're sure I won't hurt you?" Candice asked from her spot on Xander's couch.

The athlete was stretched out in his easy chair, his casted leg extended across the leg rest. He shook his head, reaching out for her.

"You hardly weigh anything – now get over here," Xander grinned.

Candice giggled, grabbing her beer and hurrying over to sit on Xander's lap. She seated herself on his good leg, leaning back into the circle of his arms.

"You feel so good," Xander sighed, and she giggled again as his voice rumbled in her ear.

"You too," she responded, rubbing her hand along his forearm.

They sat in comfortable silence, watching TV as Xander flipped through the channels. After a few moments, Candice leaned back and placed a kiss on Xander's neck, just below his ear. A deep rumble resounded from his chest, and she smiled. She kissed him again, closer to his jaw line, and got the same response.

Slowly she turned to face him, setting her beer on the floor, and straddling his left leg and the arm rest. She kissed another path from his other ear to his jaw line, running her fingers down his chest and slowly making her way toward his lips.

"Ooh – The Pelican Brief!" Xander suddenly exclaimed, fumbling for his cell phone and nearly unseating Candice.

"What?" Candice asked confusedly as she grabbed the headrest of the chair to keep from falling off.

Xander was pressing a number on speed dial. As he brought the phone to his ear, he said,

"J.J. _loves_ this movie."

Candice just blinked at him.

"Hey, J.J. Your favorite movie's on TNT. Candice, say 'hi' to J.J."

"Hi, J.J.," the girl said quietly as Xander turned the phone toward her.

Xander went back to his conversation, and after a few seconds, Candice sighed. Reaching down for her beer, she climbed off of his lap and walked into the kitchen. Shaking her head, the woman poured the rest of her beer down the sink, rinsed out the bottle and stuck it in the recycling bin.

When she came back to the living room, she plopped down on his couch and reached for her tennis shoes, lacing them up quickly. After a moment, she looked up and saw that Xander had hung up the phone and was watching her.

"Are you leaving?" he asked, genuine confusion painted across his face.

"I have to be at work in a few hours," she answered, tonelessly.

"Oh – okay. Want to hang out later?"

Candice shrugged,

"Whatever. I'll call you when I'm done."

She left without another word. Xander stared after her for a few seconds, then climbed out of his chair to go get himself a drink.

* * *

"I don't see why we need to bring someone else into the equation," Xander stated, folding his arms as he watched J.J. bustle around his kitchen.

The woman picked up a pot of boiling pasta and dumped it into the strainer. Leaning back to avoid the barrage of steam, she stated simply,

"I need help, X. I barely have any time as it is, and if we expand the site there'll be even more work for me to do. I just need someone to help edit footage and reproduce tapes. You'll still have the final say over the finished project. They don't have to be corporate. We can hire a film student – like an internship. Of course, it's your decision," she finished as she checked on the pot of pesto sauce.

Xander wheeled himself over to the trash to dump the carrot and cucumber peelings off of his cutting board. He grabbed a set of tongs for the salad while J.J. dished out some gnocchi and ladled the sauce over it. Together, the two set the table, and once they were seated, Xander surrendered.

"Okay – let's put some fliers up at a couple of campuses."

J.J. ducked her head.

"Actually – I kind of already put out an ad. I've got some resumes for you to review."

Xander threw up his hands, laughing.

"Why did you even ask me?"

"Common courtesy. You're the boss, after all."

They'd just started eating, when the doorbell rang.

J.J. looked up mid-bite and shrugged at the question in Xander's eyes.

"No clue," she said.

Quickly, Xander backed out from under the table and wheeled over to the window, moving the curtain aside. He started, surprised.

"It's Candice."

"Oh, X. Don't tell me you double booked again. I don't think I can take the embarrassment a third time. She's really got to hate me by now," J.J. said quickly, the chagrin bleeding through her tone.

Xander thought about it, and shook his head quickly.

"No, we weren't supposed to hang out. You want me to send her away?"

J.J. stared at him, shocked.

"Do _I_ want you to send your _girlfriend_ home?" she asked him sarcastically. "Wow."

She said no more, going to the cabinet to grab another place setting, and Xander had his answer. He buzzed the girl in.

"X, I've got the best news!" Candice squealed as she dashed into the apartment, "I just won tickets to the Air Guitar Finals, and you're coming with me."

Carefully avoiding Xander's cast, she scrambled into his wheel chair, took his face in her hands and gave him a celebratory kiss. When he didn't respond, she pulled back and stared at him. She saw his eyes dart to the side, and she turned to follow his gaze.

J.J. waved sheepishly from her spot at the table. Candice bit her lip and nodded to herself.

"J.J.'s here."

"Hey Candice," J.J. responded, sharing the younger woman's sentiments completely.

"That sounds fun," Xander said in consolation, finally wrapping his arms around Candice's waist.

The girl sat there silently as he wheeled them both back into the dining area.

"Are you hungry? J.J. made gnocchi."

"Of course she did," Candice replied woodenly, but she got up and took a place at the table, accepting the serving spoon that J.J. handed her.

Xander tried to revive the conversation, asking Candice about her day and how she won the tickets. The girl's answers were quiet and brief. When she complimented J.J.'s cooking, the woman's answer was equally brief.

Scarfing down the remainder of her lunch, J.J. scooted back from the table, walking to the counter to pack up her computer.

"X, I've gotta jet. We can go over the resumes later."

"But you just got here! You asked me for this meeting last week."

At that, Candice started to get up from the table,

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know this was an 'official' thing. _I'll_ go, J.J. Don't worry about it."

The girls continued to banter about who was going and who was staying until Xander stated,

"I don't see why anybody needs to leave at all."

The two women turned to stare at him, Candice looking hurt and J.J. looking annoyed. The older of the two turned to finish packing her bag.

" X, spend some time with Candice. We can look at the resumes tomorrow."

It was clearly an order, not a suggestion, and X didn't object. He nodded as J.J. let herself out. After a pause, he turned back to Candice.

"So tell me about these –"

He stopped short when he saw her green eyes brimming over with tears.

"Hey – what's wrong?"

In response, she just shook her head, covering her face with both hands. It took several minutes of coaxing before she finally said,

"Now I _really_ feel like shit. _J.J._ has to tell you spend time with your own girlfriend," the girl said tearfully, grabbing a napkin and using it to dab at her eyes, "I like J.J. I know she's important to you. She's got a piece of you that I'll never have – I'm willing to accept that."

Xander gave her a small smile.

"Hey, there's plenty of me to go around," he joked, raising his eyebrows suggestively.

Candice sighed,

"This isn't funny, X. I feel – I feel like I'm coming in second place _all the time_, and that isn't fair."

He looked concerned then, and she hurried to soothe his fears.

"I'm not giving you an ultimatum. I know better than to tell the great Xander Cage what to do. Just think about what you want and let me know, okay?"

She stood up, and would have left if Xander hadn't caught her by the hand.

"Hey."

He tugged at her arm until she looked at him.

"I know what I want. I want to go to this Guitar Hero thing with you tonight."

His girlfriend laughed softly and smacked at his shoulder.

"It's Air Guitar, silly."

"Air Guitar, my mistake," he smiled, pulling her over to sit in the wheelchair with him.

"And then tomorrow I want you to come over for dinner, and I want you to stay the night."

Her jaw dropped at his words. In the weeks they'd been dating, he'd been relatively quick to make them an official 'item,' but he had never asked her to stay over. She'd hinted at it repeatedly, but he'd never caught on, as far as she could tell.

"But I thought…your leg," she managed to stutter.

Xander shrugged.

"We'll figure it out. Now, no more tears," he said, wiping them away with the pad of his thumb.

Candice nodded, returning his embrace as he hugged her.

* * *

"You're still alive! I figured Candice bit your head off yesterday," J.J. laughed as she let herself into Xander's loft.

"Nope," Xander shot back.

J.J. stopped short, casting Xander a strange look. He was sitting in his living room, watching last year's X Games. Setting down her bag, J.J. quickly walked toward him, stepping around the easy chair to face him.

"Oh my god. X, you _didn't_."

Two bottles sat on Xander's living room table, one of Tequila, one of Goldschlager. Both were a quarter empty. From one glance, J.J. could tell that the man was already drunk. A loud burp was the athlete's response to J.J.'s words.

"X, what the fuck are you doing? You're not supposed to be drinking! You're gonna make yourself sick!"

X shrugged, exaggerating the motion.

"I didn't know what else to do. I'm freaking out."

J.J. shook her head, moving the bottles out of his reach.

"About what?"

"I asked Candice to spend the night."

J.J. was clearly surprised.

"Wow… that's a big deal," she said, "she's never – I mean you two still haven't –"

Xander shook his head,

"We've fooled around. That's it."

J.J. was silent, then she was uncorking the bottles and pouring one shot of each. Xander reached out for one of the shot glasses, but in an instant, J.J. had downed both.

"That's big," she said again, wincing from the burn of the alcohol, "congrats."

There was a weighted pause, then J.J. said, "I'm sure she's 'stoked'," laughing as she imitated Candice's speech pattern.

"Hey," Xander said, shooting the woman a glare.

J.J. just shook her head, pouring another shot of Tequila and tossing it back.

"J.J. what are you doing? You'll make yourself sick," Xander asked in a badly done in imitation of J.J.'s voice.

J.J. rolled her eyes.

"Well you're _clearly_ in no condition to do any work. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em."

Thirty minutes later, they were both drunk.

J.J. laughed uproariously,

"I'm gonna have to get a cab home. 'Candy's' gonna be pissed when she sees my car here. She hates my guts, you know," she finished matter-of-factly, standing up to grab a bag of chips out of Xander's kitchen.

Xander went along with the joke,

"Yeah, and she's gonna hunt you down and challenge you to a wrestling match – a mud wrestling match – and we could sell tickets and take bets. Ten-to-one odds."

"Please. I'd kick her scrawny little ass," J.J. shot back as she came back the couch.

Xander reached into the bag when she offered, peering at her through squinty eyes.

"Well somebody's jealous," he grinned, crunching loudly.

"Ha!" J.J. laughed loudly.

She stood up to yank back the bag of chips, but thanks to the alcohol, she ended up splayed halfway across Xander's lap. Blearily, she turned, blinking up at him and pushing the braids out of her eyes. She sat up slowly, rubbing the back of her back of her head, and shifted until she was sitting on the armrest. He snaked an arm around her waist to steady her.

"I have nothing to worry about," J.J. replied after she'd gotten her bearings, "'cause I know I'll always be your number one girl."

She finished with a tipsy smile, flashing her bracelet as proof.

Xander smiled back, reaching out to touch the bangle. He'd bought it on a whim after J.J. started college, and he'd ended up giving it to her to help smooth things over after their biggest fight to date.

"Yeah, you are," he admitted, casually running a thumb across her wrist.

Mindlessly, he rubbed at the bracelet, and after a moment, he leaned down and pressed a kiss the pulse point beneath it. J.J. stilled in his arms immediately. Xander smiled softly, threading his fingers through hers and kissing her wrist again.

He glanced toward her, half expecting the woman to pull away, but she didn't, and suddenly his heart was hammering in his chest.

"J," he said softly, leaning to place a kiss on her bare shoulder.

She didn't answer, and he saw her turn to look away from him.

He shook his head, reaching out to cup her chin in his free hand.

"Look at me, sweetheart."

He felt her take some shallow breaths, but she didn't move. Soon he grew frustrated.

"Janette."

Xander rarely used J.J.'s full name, so when he did, she always responded. She finally turned, and his hand slid up to cradle her cheek. They said nothing, Xander continuing to rub her wrist.

Finally, the man took a huge breath, leaning forward a few inches.

"I'm not gonna stop unless you stop me," he rumbled as he continued to lean toward her.

J.J. didn't make a sound. She simply closed her eyes and waited. Xander's eyelids drooped as he leaned closer, but then he stopped a hairsbreadth from her lips.

"Last chance," he said, his voice a near whisper.

Now she was shaking. Her lips parted as if she was going to speak, but then she said nothing, opening her eyes and looking straight into his. The sudden eye contact surprised him, and his breath caught in his throat. A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth, and Xander had all the encouragement he needed. He leaned forward the last inch.

And then his phone was ringing – vibrating loudly as it clanked against the bottle of Tequila. J.J. leapt off of Xander's lap, cursing loudly as she ran a hand through her hair. Xander was equally startled. He said nothing as J.J. grabbed for his phone. She cursed again when she saw the caller I.D.

"Candice," she told him, tossing him the phone.

Xander looked at the phone helplessly, then turned to look at J.J. The girl just shook her head, looking positively mortified as she backed away into the kitchen.

Xander took a deep breath, then flipped open the phone. He kept the conversation brief, though J.J. couldn't hear what he said. She'd turned the faucet on full blast, splashing her face with cold water.

"She's on her way," he told her when she came back into the room.

J.J. nodded silently, turning to look for her bag.

"I'm gonna get a cab."

Xander tried to call her back, but she wasn't having it.

"Don't do anything stupid," she told him emphatically as she let herself out.

* * *

J.J. sat on her couch, mindlessly channel surfing and eating a bowl of ice cream. Her cell phone buzzed, and she saw Xander's name on the screen. She considered letting it ring, but after a couple of seconds she answered.

"Hey."

"Hey. I didn't think I'd hear from you 'til tomorrow," she answered softly, looking at the clock. It was way too early for Xander's date to be over.

"So what's up?" she finally asked, unsure how to proceed.

There was a weighted pause on Xander's end.

"We broke it off," he stated plainly.

J.J. groaned, exasperated, laying her free hand across her forehead.

"X, you didn't need to do that! Why did you do that?"

There was another pause.

"You know why," was his quite, resigned answer, "she knew why too. There's no way I was gonna be able to lie to her, not after - "

He cut himself off, waiting for J.J. to say something, anything. She didn't.

"But just think," he finally said, putting on a deliberately cheerful tone, "my cast comes off in a few more days, and you can get back to your life of denial."

He knew he was pushing it, but for some reason, he couldn't shut himself up.

"I don't get it," he snapped, "You'll let some preppy off the street break your heart every other day, but you won't let me love you. You know I'd love you."

He sat there in angry silence, but found himself relenting when he heard a tearful sniffle on the other end of the phone.

"Christ – J… J.J., please don't cry. I didn't mean it. I'm just…I must still be drunk from earlier. You know how I love to stick my foot in my mouth."

The sniffles continued, but eventually they ceased. He heard J.J. take a deep breath.

"I love you too, X. You know that. And I love your parents and Aunt Luna, and the 'Xander Zone' and what happens if it doesn't work out? I lose everything. I just – I can't risk that."

Xander finally nodded, though he was alone in the room.

"I know – I know. But, hey – you're still my number one girl, right?"

He heard J.J. sigh.

"Yeah. See you tomorrow?" J.J. asked, and Xander's mood brightened a little when he heard the smile in her voice.

"Yeah."

Xander sighed as he hung up the phone. Leaning over to grab his crutches, he quickly used them to stand to his feet. Lumbering agilely over to his television, he popped Duke Nukem into the console, and then trudged back to his couch.

As the game screen came on, he experimentally twisted his torso to the left and then the right. He stretched his arms out to the sides and then up above his head.

The pain was pretty much gone – from his body, at least.

THE END


End file.
